First measles case diagnosed in San Antonio

A patient was diagnosed through a laboratory test by UHS sometime last week, spokeswoman Elizabeth Allen said A patient was diagnosed through a laboratory test by UHS sometime last week, spokeswoman Elizabeth Allen said Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: JOHN DAVENPORT /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close First measles case diagnosed in San Antonio 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Amid outbreaks of measles in 11 states, including Texas, a case of the contagious virus has been diagnosed in San Antonio, officials from University Health System confirmed late Tuesday.

A patient was diagnosed through a laboratory test by UHS sometime last week, spokeswoman Elizabeth Allen said by text. The patient was being treated as an outpatient and had already left when the results were confirmed, she said.

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“Thanks to our experienced and high quality physicians who performed laboratory tests based upon a thorough history, we were able to diagnose a case of measles that might have otherwise gone undiagnosed,” said Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer for UHS, in a statement.

He noted that San Antonio Metropolitan Health District “is encouraging all health systems and clinical providers to do the same, given the extent of the epidemic and the concern over additional cases that may be in our community.”

The patient’s place of residence was not disclosed.

The diagnosis marks the first case of the highly contagious virus identified in the San Antonio area this year, as outbreaks of the disease — which can be prevented with a vaccine — have spread in 11 states. Texas health officials had confirmed eight cases of measles in parts of the state as of Feb. 14, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Four were in Harris County and one each in Galveston, Montgomery, Bell and Denton counties.

Nationwide, 206 measles cases were diagnosed from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most severe outbreak is in Washington state, where 69 people have been sickened as of March 1. Other states with confirmed reports of measles include California, Oregon, New York and Illinois.

Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba