Amid a small but steady rise in measles cases nationally, Chicago health officials reported a second case at a migrant shelter and California reported its third case of the year, which involves a child who had recently returned from international travel.
Chicago braces for more cases
The second case at the migrant shelter in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago involves another young child who is hospitalized and is listed in good condition, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said yesterday in a statement. The first patient has recovered and is no longer infectious.
Officials said the cases aren't related to another case reported last week in Chicago. The city has now confirmed three cases.
CDPH Commissioner Olusimbo Ige, MD, MPH, said most Chicago residents are vaccinated and are not at risk, but urged unvaccinated people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. "It is by far the best protection against measles, which for the first time in years is in our city," she said, adding, "Because of how contagious measles is, I anticipate seeing more cases."
The city's other earlier case, announced last week, involved a person who had not traveled but had interactions with domestic and international travelers.
California officials track healthcare exposures
Elsewhere, Sacramento County Public Health announced on March 8 that a measles infection has been confirmed in a child who was seen at the University of California, Davis Medical Center's emergency department (ED) on the afternoon of March 5.
Officials warned that unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status who were at the ED during that period are at risk of contracting measles. They are working with health partners in surrounding counties to identify patients who may have been exposed and to assess their immunization status.
UC Davis Health said its infection prevention team has the situation under control and that the hospital is working with county health officials to notify about 300 people who were in the emergency department at the time a child who returned from travel outside the country was being evaluated for suspected measles.
In February, California reported two cases with rash onsets in the week ending February 3. The state had no measles cases in 2022 and four in 2023, according to the California Department of Public Health.
California and Illinois are among 17 jurisdictions in the United States that have reported measles cases this year, according to the most recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which put the national total at 45 cases as of March 7.
In January, the CDC warned healthcare providers to be alert for measles owing to a global rise in cases alongside gaps in vaccine coverage.
