SD health professionals discuss Texas measles outbreak

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The number of measles cases in Texas has reached over 150, with officials there expecting the outbreak to continue growing.

The South Dakota Department of Health says there has not been a recorded case in South Dakota this year, but a couple of health professionals are telling us what you need to know if measles spreads north.

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The current measles outbreak in Texas has caught the attention of South Dakota’s state epidemiologist Josh Clayton.

“We do see in this current outbreak around 20% of individuals have been hospitalized. We have seen one death with measles so far this year,” Clayton said.

Both Clayton and Sanford pediatric infectious diseases physician Margo Free say that measles can easily spread.

“Measles is the most contagious virus that we know of, ” Free said.

“Most often, what we’re dealing with with measles is transmission of the virus through the air, but it can be on contaminated surfaces that somebody has coughed onto,” Clayton said.

So be on the lookout for symptoms.

“At first, children will have a runny nose, cough and then later on, they’ll get a characteristic measles rash,” Free said.

Clayton and Free also agree that getting vaccinated is the best form of prevention.

“In fact, two doses of the MMR vaccine offer lifetime immunity and is up to about 97% effective at preventing disease,” Clayton said.

“We know that our tools for prevention of measles are much more effective than our treatments,” Free said.

Children typically receive their first dose of MMR when they are 12 months old and return for another dose at 4 years old. If you are not vaccinated but wish to be, you should contact your medical provider.