HARTFORD — The Department of Public Health Tuesday said it has confirmed two cases of measles in New Haven County.
Officials said two children under a year old from the same household had traveled internationally and were infected outside the country.
The DPH is working to identify contacts and implement appropriate control measures said officials in a statement.
The department said that exposures occurred within New Haven County between April 11-17.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It causes fever, red and sore eyes, runny nose, cough and a rash. It can cause deadly health complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. It is spread by contact with an infected person through coughing or sneezing. It can remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.
While once widespread in the United States, cases dropped significantly because of vaccines. In 2000, health authorities declared that measles had been eliminated in the United States, which meant it was no longer native but continued to be brought in by international travelers.
According to the CDC, from January 1 to March 30, 2018, 34 people from 11 states (Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas) were reported to have measles. In 2017, 118 people from 15 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. In 2016, 86 people from 19 states were reported to have measles. In 2015, 188 people from 24 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. In 2014, the United States experienced a record number of measles cases, with 667 cases from 27 states reported to CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD); this is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.
The CDC attributes this to two things: more measles cases coming into the United States, and more spreading of the disease in communities with pockets of people who are not vaccinated.
