Wisconsin health officials confirmed a new case of measles in a Chippewa County resident, prompting a public health probe into potential exposures.
On September 22, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced the case, stating there are some unknown public exposures linked to the infection.
The Chippewa County Department of Public Health stated experimenting at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene confirmed the case.
Anyone who is likely to be exposed is required to be contacted directly by public health officials.
Local health officials continue to work with the affected people and healthcare providers to detect the exposed individuals.
The probe continues. If officials detect public locations where exposure may have happened and cannot detect everyone who remained present, those locations will be made available to the public.
As per Chippewa County Health Officer Brittnay Herrick, measles is highly contagious and encouraged residents to keep themselves updated and check their vaccination status while the investigation continues.
The new case comes as Wisconsin has reported confirmed measles cases in multiple counties since August, including Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, Marathon and Vernon counties.
DHS says measles can be easily transmitted via the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can remain in the air for up to two hours.
The disease can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain damage and deafness, and can sometimes be fatal.
Symptoms generally develop 10 to 21 days after exposure. Health officials advise anyone who develops symptoms to contact a healthcare provider, even if they are not aware of a specific exposure.
