RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO, Ohio — With a measles outbreak in Ohio underway, Richland Public Health is investigating a confirmed case in a person who visited a public area while infected this past week.
According to the Richland Public Health's Facebook page, the infected individual was at the Richland Mall from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. this past Monday, Nov. 28. Any unvaccinated individual who was at the same location during that time is encouraged to watch for symptoms of measles and to go to their health care provider if they are sick.
Anyone who is sick and has symptoms should call their healthcare provider to let them know that they have potential measles exposure before going into the provider’s office. Symptoms of measles often appear between seven to 21 days after contact with the virus and can include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Additionally, a measles rash typically appears three to five days after initial symptoms.
Richland Public Health's announcement comes as health departments in Central Ohio have been working to contain the ongoing measles outbreak. As of Friday, Columbus reported 50 measles cases, 20 of which have required hospitalization.
Richland Public Health noted that measles is a vaccine-preventable disease that is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
"The most important thing anyone can do to prevent measles is to get the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and highly effective,
RPH wrote. "One dose of MMR is 93% effective at preventing measles and two doses is 97% effective at preventing measles."