GOSHEN – The Orange County Department of Health is advising residents of a confirmed positive case of measles in the County.
A county spokesman said the victim is an infant and may have contracted the disease while visiting a family in Rockland County, where 75 cases of measles have been confirmed.
A news release provided no further details on where the Orange County victim lives.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people. Symptoms generally appear in two stages.
A person is considered immune and is unlikely to get measles if they were born before January 1, 1957, have received two doses of the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine or have a lab test confirming immunity.
The single best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated
Those individuals lacking immunity or not sure if they have been vaccinated are at risk of developing measles. Symptoms include a fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis and/or runny nose. Symptoms usually appear in 10-12 days after exposure but may appear as early as 7 days and may take as long as 21 days. Persons who become ill should contact their primary care provider by phone or the Orange County Department of Health at (845) 291-2330 before seeking care to avoid exposing others to the illness.
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