As of April 8, 2019, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed 39 total measles cases statewide since March 13, 2019.  Oakland County has 38 cases, and one was a Wayne County resident.

Infected individuals range in age from eight months to 63 years.  In the United States, which had previously declared measles eliminated, the disease has made a comeback. According to the U. S. government, 2019 already has the second-greatest number of reported cases since 2000. There have been 387 individual cases confirmed in 15 states in 2019.

Measles is transmitted by droplets from an infected person’s nose or mouth.  If a person is infected, others can inhale their virus when they cough, sneeze or even talk. Infected people can transmit the measles virus starting four days before they develop a rash and they are able to spread the virus for about four days after the rash appears.  The virus can also live on surfaces for several hours, and is so contagious that, according to the C.D.C., “You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, up to two hours after that person is gone.”

Measles symptoms include the following:  it can begin with cold-like symptoms that appear seven to 14 days after a person is exposed to the virus, but it can take up to 21 days to appear. Also, those infected would have high fever, cough, runny nose, and red watery eyes.  Two or three days after respiratory symptoms/fever begin, tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth.  Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash that is red, raised, and blotchy develops. It typically starts on the head or face and spreads all over the body.

There is no cure for measles.  Especially vulnerable are those have not been vaccinated, pregnant women, babies, and persons with weakened immune systems.  Once exposed, the measles vaccine should be administered within 72 hours to lessen the impact of the symptoms. 

Overall, vaccinations are safe and effective in 97% of people. That means three out of every 100 people who've had two doses of the vaccine will still get the measles if exposed to the virus.  However, there were a couple in the current environment who had been vaccinated and still were infected. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and does not recommend routine measles vaccinations for children less than 12 months of age unless there is a suspected measles exposure; there is thought to be an imminent measles exposure such as being in areas of known measles; or international travel planned.

What happens if an applicant, employee, or customer is infected and comes to the office?  If so, it is important to decontaminate the room(s) and objects. In a case in Massachusetts, a woman, who was diagnosed, had gone from coffee shops to a Target to a Whole Foods. The state came up with a plan for all businesses to notify employees and customers. 

Employers need to recognize that these isolated incidences of measles can become more prevalent and should coordinate with local health officials on emergency plans if measles is found in the workplace.  It is an area of liability that should be recognized and prepared for.

Sources: New York Times 2/20/19, Detroit Free Press 4/8/19, Boston Globe 4/2/19, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services