Minnesota: Measles cases continue to rise, Now reported in Stearns County

The number of measles cases in the current Minnesota outbreak has risen to 29 cases, as five additional cases were reported today, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

Hennepin County has seen 28 of the cases and now one case has been reported in Stearns County.

Of the 29 cases, 25 are confirmed to be unvaccinated, 1 of the cases had 1 MMR, and vaccination status of the remaining cases has yet to be verified.

25 of the confirmed cases are Somali Minnesotan. Race/ethnicity of the remaining cases has yet to be verified. All are children under the age of five.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a very contagious viral infection. Measles spreads when a person infected with measles virus breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can still be on surfaces and in the air up to 2 hours after that person is gone from a room. Measles still spreads in some parts of the world.

It usually takes 10 to 14 days for someone who has caught measles to start showing symptoms.

Measles usually begins with a high fever, runny nose, cough and sore red eyes, followed by a rash starting behind the ears and spreading to the body a few days later. One in three people with measles will develop complications, such as ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea or rarely inflammation of the brain.

Measles is preventable through vaccination.

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