Macomb County child with measles exposed others at motel, hospital

A Macomb County child has a confirmed case of measles and exposed others to the virus at a motel and a hospital emergency department as well as potentially other places across southeastern Michigan from June 24-July 2, state and Macomb County health officials said Friday.

The child was diagnosed with the highly contagious virus on July 3, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported. Anyone who was in the following places at the following dates and times is advised to contact the Macomb County Health Department or their medical provider and monitor for symptoms for 21 days after the exposure:

• Motel 6, 8300 Chicago Road, Warren: June 26.
• Children's Hospital of Michigan Troy emergency department, 350 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy: 1:30-4 p.m. June 30.

The Macomb County Health Department is continuing to do contact tracing to identify other exposure sites, times and dates. Exposed workers from the motel and hospital have been notified and are being monitored by local health departments.

This is Michigan's sixth case of measles this year.

Measles is so infectious, viral particles can remain in the air for as long as two hours after an infected person leaves the room and 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed will become infected. Those infected can spread measles before noticing symptoms.

"Along with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, we continue to monitor this case," said Andrew Cox, director/health officer of the Macomb County Department of Health and Community Services, in an emailed statement to the Free Press.

"We have not been able to identify any record of vaccination for the child. Because measles is vaccine preventable and very contagious, we encourage everyone to make sure they're up-to-date on their measles vaccine. If you're not up-to-date, contact your health care provider or your local health department to get your vaccine as soon as possible."

Although the child's measles infection was identified on July 3, it wasn't until nine days later that the state and local health departments alerted the public. That's well beyond the cut-off date for when post-exposure prophylaxis can be used to prevent infection.

Chelsea Wuth, a spokesperson for the state health department, told the Free Press Friday that the Macomb County Health Department "immediately reached out to notify any potentially exposed individuals." She added: "While health officials believe there is minimal risk to public health, as a precaution, MDHHS is notifying the public of possible exposure sites in parts of southeast Michigan from June 24 to July 2, 2024."

No known international travel is associated with this case, health officials said.

More: State's top doctor: Measles outbreak likely in Michigan because of low vaccination rates

What should I do if I think I was exposed to measles?

If you believe you were exposed to the virus at Children's Hospital of Michigan Troy or at Motel 6 in Warren or any other location, contact your health care provider or the Macomb County Health Department at 586-783-8190 for vaccination information and additional guidance.

Also, monitor for symptoms for 21 days after the date of potential exposure. If symptoms develop, call ahead before visiting a doctor, urgent care center, or hospital emergency department so they can take precautions to avoid exposing others.

What are symptoms of measles?

Symptoms typically start within seven-14 days of exposure, but also have been known to appear as long as 21 days after initial exposure and can include:

• Fever, which may rise above 104 degrees.
• Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes.
• Two to three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots, known as Koplik spots, may develop on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth.
• Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash that is red, raised and blotchy appears. It usually begins on the face and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs.

How serious is a measles infection?

Measles can cause serious illness, long-term disability and death in people of all ages.

So far in 2024, 167 people in the U.S. have had confirmed measles cases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Of them, 53% were hospitalized for treatment of complications; the majority of hospitalizations were among children.

About 1 in 20 kids with measles develops pneumonia. Roughly 1 out of every 1,000 children who have measles infections will also have encephalitis . Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC.

Anywhere from 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles dies from respiratory or neurologic complications from the virus.

How can measles be prevented?

“Preventing measles is simple — all residents should get vaccinated to prevent this disease,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive, in a statement. “Vaccination can prevent illness and provide peace of mind in case you or your family member is exposed. As we get ready for back-to-school season, now is a great time to check with your health care provider to make sure you are current with all your vaccines.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following when it comes to the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine:

• A first dose for children at 12-15 months old, with a booster dose administered between ages 4 and 6.
• Anyone born during or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles or documentation of having been vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine should get vaccinated. The second dose should be given no sooner than 28 days after the first.
• People exposed to measles who cannot document immunity against the virus should get post-exposure prophylaxis — a dose of the vaccine to potentially provide protection within 72 hours of initial exposure, or immunoglobulin within six days of exposure.

In addition to the latest case in Macomb County, MDHHS also reported the following other measles infections this year:

• A 4-year-old from Detroit who was unvaccinated had a confirmed case of the virus in April, and exposed others at DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, an urgent care center and a pharmacy in the city.
• Two cases were identified in March in Washtenaw County. The second person is believed to have been exposed to the virus at Trinity Health Ann Arbor's waiting and triage area, where another Washtenaw County resident contagious with measles had gone for care.
• An adult from Wayne County who had traveled internationally and had no record of measles immunization had the virus in February.
• An Oakland County child who was unvaccinated and had traveled internationally was the first known case of measles in Michigan this year, state health officials announced Feb. 23.

Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Free Press .

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Macomb County child with measles exposed others at motel, hospital