Potential public exposure to measles in Orange

For Immediate Release: January 8, 2014

Contact: nstanfield@ochca.com or (714) 834-2178

Potential Public Exposure to Measles

(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Health Care Agency has confirmed three cases of measles in Orange County in the last week, in conjunction with the outbreak recently reported affecting multiple counties in California and Utah. These cases raise the possibility that Orange County residents may be exposed to measles since the patients visited public locations while infectious.

The Health Care Agency has been working with the facilities listed below to contact people who may have been exposed to these cases and who are at increased risk of severe illness. The risk of developing infection after brief encounters with persons with measles is low, but as a precaution, people who were in the below locations around the same time as the individuals with measles should:

• Review their vaccination history if they have not previously had measles; people who have not had measles or the measles vaccine are at higher risk after an exposure, so they should talk with a health care provider about receiving MMR vaccination.
• Monitor themselves for illness with fever and/or an unexplained rash from 7 days to 21 days after their exposure (the time period when symptoms may develop); if symptoms develop, stay at home and call a health care provider immediately.

Potential exposure locations and times:

• St. Joseph Hospital, 1100 W. Stewart Drive, Orange
  • Emergency Department: Tuesday, December 30, 6:00 – 11:30 p.m.
• CHOC Children’s Hospital, 1201 W. La Veta Avenue, Orange
  • 4th Floor: Thursday, January 1, 3:40 p.m. through Friday, January 2, 12:45 p.m.
  • Emergency Department: Sunday, January 4, 10:25 a.m. – 12:50 p.m., and Monday, January 5, 8:25 a.m. – 12:40 p.m
• Quest Diagnostics Laboratory, 1010 W. La Veta Avenue, Suite 140, Orange
  • Saturday, January 3, 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.

Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes. Measles spreads very easily by air and by direct contact with an infected person. Measles is contagious from approximately four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appears.

Measles is a rare disease in the United States and in regions of the world where vaccination coverage is high. Maintaining high vaccination rates is vital to preventing outbreaks of disease in our community. Given the recent cases identified here and in other jurisdictions in Southern California, additional cases are expected and vaccination is key in preventing infection from future exposures.

To learn more about measles, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Orange County Health Care Agency.
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