Measles cases reach 63 in Chicago, but the pace of new cases is slowing

New measles cases were detected in Chicago this week, bringing the city's total number of outbreaks to 63, well above the annual average.

The latest case, a girl between the ages of 5 and 17, was reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health on Tuesday, but it is unclear where she contracted the highly contagious disease, officials said.

a immigrant shelter The Pilsen area was associated with the majority of measles cases when the measles outbreak began in early March. These are among the first measles cases reported in Chicago since 2019, and about half of Chicago's cases were in children under 5 years old.

Two additional cases Measles has been detected in suburban Cook County in recent weeks, according to the county health department, which announced Thursday that a south suburban grocery store has been identified as a potential outbreak site.

Cook County Public Health says anyone who visited Sam's Club in Evergreen Park, 9400 S. Western Ave., on April 9 between 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. It was announced that the person may have contracted measles from someone who is contagious. The individuals confirmed to have measles there were residents of Chicago, but their cases were not linked to immigrant shelters in the city.

Outbreak in the Chicago area accounts for the majority of measles cases in the U.S. this year Four more cases were detected in DuPage, Lake and Will counties, bringing the state's total number of cases to 69. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accounts for more than half of the 121 cases reported nationwide.

Dr. Alfredo Mena Lora, chief of infectious diseases at St. Anthony Hospital in Little Village, said Chicago is experiencing a “unique situation” regarding the outbreak because of its high measles vaccination rate.

Chicago Public Health Secretary Olusimbo Ige has previously said that “new arrivals to Chicago are not bringing measles with them,” but she and Mena Lora argue that immigrants have lower vaccination rates in their countries of origin. Because of the low incidence of measles and the lack of access to measles vaccination, they are among the most vulnerable to measles infection. crowded living situation At a shelter in the city.

“If you look at other environments, for example, where it's not as cold, or where there's a lot of sprawl, or even places where there's less density, it's not easy for one infected person to spread to another. And then there were other cases and other cases,” Mena Lora said.

Last year, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported five measles cases, none in Chicago. In the previous three years, no cases had been reported in the state. The last time Illinois had double-digit measles cases was in 2015, when 17 people were infected.

Mena Lora said he is “confident” that Chicago health officials will quickly isolate people who have contracted measles, test them and administer vaccines efficiently, and that the current outbreak will be brought under control. “There is,” he said.

City health officials said the outbreak has subsided significantly in recent weeks. The number of infections had been steadily increasing, but in late March, the number of new infections jumped to 36 within a week. Since then, 10 cases have been confirmed in the city.

More than 15,000 doses of measles vaccine have been administered in Chicago since the outbreak began on March 7, according to the Chicago Department of Health. The majority of these doses were administered to migrants staying in shelters.

“Our tools against measles are very powerful,” Mena Laura said. “This vaccine is very powerful. This is a two-dose vaccine, and with one dose it's about 90% effective, rising to more than 95% with the second dose.”

Symptoms of measles usually appear 10 to 14 days after exposure. Common symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and red or watery eyes, according to the CDC. The rash may appear 3 to 5 days after the initial symptoms begin.

Health officials say families with children 1 to 5 years old should keep them at home until 21 days after their second vaccination or, if vaccination is not possible, until 21 days after their last exposure. .