You might remember from a few weeks ago that a single patient exposed over 1,000 Arizonans to measles. Because measles is highly infectious and 90% of unvaccinated contacts become infected, Public Health worked overtime to identify and interview suspected cases. Health care facilities were placed on heightened alert. The State Laboratory rushed testing of suspicious measles cases. Media interviews alerted the public of concerning symptoms.
This time, at least, it looks like we’ve dodged a bullet from this case. We haven’t found any secondary cases yet, which means Arizona may have come out of this without an outbreak. While we can breathe a lucky sigh of relief, efforts now redouble to ensure that 95% of the population is vaccinated against measles (making it harder for future measles cases to spread), that we maintain vaccination records for Arizonans, and that we’re prepared to control the next infectious disease that flies into AZ.
