KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Measles has found its way to West Michigan, with Kent County confirming its first case of the disease in more than a decade.
The Kent County Health Department announced Tuesday that an adult resident has tested positive for measles. The infected individual recently traveled abroad before returning to the United States and traveling between New Jersey and Michigan.
"It's incredibly contagious, and it's one of those illnesses that can stay in the air for a prolonged period of time," said Dr. Todd Chassee, RightCare Clinic Medical Director.
Health officials are concerned about potential exposure since the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a location.
"Measles is one of those illnesses that there is lots of misinformation out there, and many people will have a mild illness and do fine, and that's where people point to, it's not that dangerous. Unfortunately, it's one of those illnesses that people will end up dying from," Dr. Chassee explained.
The health department is warning anyone who was at the locations listed during the specified times may have been exposed to measles.
"Our job is to investigate that, to determine who might be at risk, who might be exposed, and to prevent that from spreading to other people," said Cathy Armstrong, Kent County Health Department supervisor of Communicable Disease.
Symptoms typically appear within two weeks of exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, tiny white spots inside the mouth, and a raised, blotchy red rash that usually starts on the face and spreads. A person can be contagious four days before symptoms appear.
"When we've seen increased cases in our area, it's extremely important to want to protect the people around us, because people who are pregnant, people are immunocompromised, young babies, they're at most risk of getting severe illness," Armstrong said.
Health officials recommend the MMR vaccine as the best way to prevent measles from spreading. Anyone who suspects they have measles should call their healthcare provider before seeking in-person care to prevent further transmission.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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