Avera's Pat Reiner, infection control prevention specialist, provided information on the manifestation and prevention of measles following Tuesday's announcement that a child in Davison County has the virus.
Reiner said normally a patient with the measles would not be admitted to the hospital unless they suffered complications, like pneumonia, dehydration or encephalitis.
Otherwise, since measles is a virus, patients are typically monitored at home, Reiner said. Caregivers are particularly told to keep the patient hydrated, since measles can cause a high fever between 103 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees.
According to the South Dakota Department of Health website, measles symptoms present first as a runny nose, cough, a slight fever that consistently rises each day and reddened eyes that are sensitive to light.
As measles moves into its second stage between day three and seven, patients have the high temperature and get the trademark red rash all over the body, according to the website. They may also have white spots on their gums and inside of the cheeks.
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Reiner said if the virus is left unchecked, the worst outcomes are brain damage and death.
Historically, measles was considered a childhood disease, but it can be contracted at any age. The majority of measles cases in the United States are unvaccinated preschoolers, adolescents and young adults.
In South Dakota, state epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger said 93 percent of 2-year-olds are vaccinated, 97.9 percent of kindergarten-age children are vaccinated, and 94 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds are up-to-date on vaccinations.
He said there are two main reasons parents give for not vaccinating their children -- medical and religious. Kightlinger said people who belong to certain faiths, like Christian Science and Amish, that have written doctrine stating vaccinations are against their religious beliefs can sign a form to exempt their children from vaccinations.
"You can't just decide you're not going to vaccinate your school-age children because you don't want to do it," he said.
Those who have a medical reason, like an allergy to an ingredient in a vaccine, can get a doctor's signature and be exempt from vaccinations.
"The biggest number of unvaccinated children is in homeschooled kids," he added. "It's not mandatory for them to be vaccinated for school entry. So, they're susceptible and vulnerable to measles, mumps and rubella."
The best protection against the disease is the measles vaccine (MMR). For full protection, two doses of the vaccine are recommended, the first at 12 months of age and a second dose by age 4. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are required for students entering schools in South Dakota. MMR vaccination is also required for children entering child care.
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Children who are under 1 year of age cannot be vaccinated and therefore are more susceptible to the measles virus, Kightlinger said. The best parents can do is keep those children away from anyone infected or exposed to the disease, and watch for measles symptoms.
Those who have never had measles, have not been vaccinated or have children who have not been vaccinated should take great precautions, since measles spreads quickly.
Those born before 1957 have a built-in immunity, Kightlinger said, because measles was a common childhood disease. Those born after 1957 should be vaccinated, because the disease became more preventable after the development of a vaccine in the early 1960s.
More information about measles is available on the Department of Health's website at http://doh.sd.gov/diseases/infectious/diseasefacts/Measles.aspx .
