Second Arizona measles case linked to Disneyland visit confirmed
Jan 23, 2015, 4:05 PM | Updated: 4:24 pm
PHOENIX — A Pinal County family has been diagnosed with the measles following a visit to Disneyland, officials said Friday.
The Kearny, Ariz. family of four visited the California theme park in mid-December. None were vaccinated against the disease.
“This is a case where a family that has decided to not vaccinate their children are experiencing the consequences of that decision in a very real way,” Pinal County Public Health Director Tom Schryer said in a release.
Officials are working to identify people the infected family may have come in contact with.
The first Arizona case of measles linked with a Disneyland visit was confirmed on Thursday. The total number of people who have contracted measles in Arizona after a Disneyland visit stands at five.
The California Department of Public Health confirmed earlier this week there were nearly 60 cases of measles in the last month. More than half of those have been linked to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
“It is very important to also note that children under the age of 1 years old are unable to be vaccinated,” Schryer said. “This age group needs to be protected from exposure. This reason alone is why parents should not take their infants to Disneyland.”
Symptoms:
• Typically appear 7-12 days after exposure to measles but may take up to 21 days.
• Begin with fever (101 degrees or higher), red, watery eyes, cough and runny nose.
• A rash that is red, raised, and blotchy. The rash begins on the face at the hairline and moves down the body. The rash may last for nearly a week and may turn brownish.
Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, an infectious disease specialist in Phoenix, said about 30 percent of those who get measles develop complications that could include pneumonia and ear infections.
About 1 in 1,000 could develop “inflammation around the brain that can lead to seizures and permanent deafness.”
For more information on measles or where you may find the vaccine, go to wearepublichealth.org/.
KTAR’s Cooper Rummell contributed to this report.
