{"id":355,"date":"2015-01-21T23:12:21","date_gmt":"2015-01-22T05:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/justus\/?p=355"},"modified":"2015-01-22T19:33:44","modified_gmt":"2015-01-23T01:33:44","slug":"measles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/measles\/","title":{"rendered":"Measles numbers on the rise from Disneyland exposure"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Shanley Chien<\/p>\n

The measles outbreak originating from people exposed to the virus at Disneyland over the holiday season is still spreading,\u00a0 though there are no confirmed cases in Illinois associated with the theme park exposure.<\/p>\n

The recent measles outbreak linked to the Disneyland exposure over the holiday season came on the heels of the country\u2019s worst year of reported cases since the measles was declared eradicated in 2000.<\/p>\n

\"Graphic<\/a>
(Graphic credit: CDC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maleney Arnold, communications director at the Illinois Department of Public Health, said\u00a0no cases of measles have been reported in the state in connection with the Disneyland exposure and it is unlikely that any new cases will be reported here.<\/p>\n

The park\u00a0identified five cast members who\u00a0 contracted the virus, three of whom have fully recovered and are back to work, according to a Disneyland spokesman. The remaining two cast members\u2019 current status is still unknown, he said.<\/p>\n

Any other employee who may have come in contact with someone with measles is required to take paid leave from work until they\u2019ve been medically cleared.<\/p>\n

California health officials have reported a total of 59 cases <\/a>of measles in California since the exposure period in December, with 20 in Orange County where Disneyland is located and that includes the five park cast members. Of the 20 confirmed cases, 12 are linked to the Disneyland exposure and eight cases\u00a0within the community have no known link, said Tricia Landquist, a public information officer at the Orange County Health Care Agency.<\/p>\n

On a national scale, three cases related to visits to Disneyland were discovered in Utah, two in Washington,\u00a0one in Colorado and a new case in Oregon. Mexico also reported one case of an unvaccinated 22-month-old girl who was exposed during her visit to the theme park. Earlier this week, 51 cases had been reported.<\/p>\n

Dr. Pamela Hymel, chief medical officer at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said park officials are taking special measures in-house to ensure that their employees receive medical care to prevent further exposure of the virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as the OC Health Care Agency notified us on Jan. 7, we immediately began to communicate to our cast to raise awareness,\u201d Hymel said. \u201cIn an abundance of caution, we also offered vaccinations and immunity tests.\u201d<\/p>\n

“In this case [Disneyland] is simply the location in which an exposure took place,” the spokesman said. Because of the concentration of people at the iconic park, the illness spread regionally beyond\u00a0 Disneyland, he said.<\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s website <\/a>describes measles as a highly contagious virus that spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing and can affect 90 percent of unvaccinated individuals who come in contact with an infected person. Initial symptoms of a measles infection are similar to a common cold, including coughing, runny nose, red, watery eyes and high fever. After a few days of exposure, infected individuals will experience red, blotchy rashes on the face before they spread to the rest of the body.<\/p>\n