Los Angeles County Measles Outbreak Under Investigation

TUESDAY, April 23, 2019 -- A measles outbreak is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health.

Officials said there have been five confirmed cases among county residents so far this year, including four linked to one another after international travel and a single case after international travel.

"We will likely see additional measles cases in Los Angeles County, so it is important if you or someone you know has the symptoms of measles or has been exposed to measles to contact your health care provider by phone right away before seeking treatment," Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis, M.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. "The best way to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of measles is to get the measles immunization, with two doses of measles immunization being about 97 percent effective at preventing measles."

California is among 22 states that have reported measles cases so far this year. The number of measles cases in the United States since Jan. 1 just reached 626, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is just 41 fewer than the 2014 record of 667 cases, the highest number since measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. "In the coming weeks, 2019 confirmed case numbers will likely surpass 2014 levels," the CDC said on its website Monday.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

More Information: CDC

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Posted: April 2019