Measles Rising in Orange County
Since April, Orange County had three confirmed cases of measles, while over 10 county locations have been potentially exposed to the disease.
The first confirmed case was a vaccinated female in Placentia who recently traveled to Vietnam, a country that is going through a measles outbreak.
Part of the problem is that some people are traveling abroad that do not require the same vaccinations, so they bring the measles with them, according to Santa Ana College Registered Nurse Stephanie Scott.
International travel is not the only problem. Infants too young for the vaccine can be exposed to the disease, such as the one-year-old who attended the AMC Movie Theatre in Fullerton.
A third confirmed case was on a vaccinated adult who was in close contact with someone who carried the measles.
Measles carries a fatal virus that floats in the air for two hours. Once the virus enters the body, the person will have fever-like symptoms plus red rashes that starts in the head and neck area.
There are no actual treatments
“Although most people recover from measles, approximately 20% of cases experience one or more complications — ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia. Vitamin A treatment is recommended for children with acute measles” Public Information Officer at the Orange County Health Care Agency, Jessica Good said.
