Shasta County announces new measles case, bringing outbreak total to 10

There’s a new measles case in Shasta County, bringing the county’s outbreak total to 10 people, according to the Shasta Health and Human Services Agency’s Public Health Branch. 

The new case was announced this morning in a press release. Health officials said they’re currently conducting contact tracing to notify any individuals who might have been exposed during the patient’s contagious period. Health officials added that they believe the case is contained, and the community risk is low. No new exposure sites related to this case have been identified, officials said.

The county said it’s investigating if there’s a connection between this new measles case and the previous ones identified in January and February. Like the previous nine cases, this case also involves a child, according to the press release. 

Unlike the previous cases, this individual was partially vaccinated against the disease. Officials said the patient had received one dose of the two-dose measles vaccine, and that the California Department of Public Health reported the case as a “breakthrough case,” meaning the patient was partially vaccinated when they contracted the disease. Officials reiterated that the vaccine still offers strong protection against measles, especially if two doses are administered. 

While uncommon, vaccinated people can still get measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that three out of 100 people who have had both doses of the vaccine can become infected, though they often experience milder illness. Shasta officials said in this case, the single vaccine administered to the patient before they became infected “worked as expected and helped the patient avoid severe illness.” 

The patient is past their eight-day infectious period, county officials said, and is able to return to their normal activities. Unvaccinated close contacts of the patient will remain in quarantine in case symptoms are developed. 

The Shasta measles outbreak was expected to end on March 30 if no new cases were reported. It is unclear when the outbreak is now expected to end since the county did not say when the new patient’s last day of exposure was. 

Measles symptoms include a rash — often appearing first on the face, along the hairline and behind the ears, then spreading to the rest of the body — a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. 

If symptoms appear, health officials advise calling ahead before being seen in person so that the health care provider or emergency room can prepare to see possible measles patients without exposing others.

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