The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) received notification of a case of presumptive positive measles this morning of an infant in St. Clair County. Currently, this is the only presumptive measles case under investigation in Alabama.
The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) has a very limited supply of MMR vaccine for adults and urges those with insurance and other coverage such as Medicaid to be vaccinated at their pharmacy or provider.
• Measles is a serious viral respiratory illness that lives in the nose and throat mucus of infected people.
• A single case of measles will infect up to 95% of unvaccinated people who are exposed. One case is also
expected to result in12-18 additional cases.
• Up to 20-30% of infected people have complications from the disease, especially children less than 5 years
of age or adults over 20 years of age.
• Symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after a person is infected.
• Common early symptoms include:
o High fever, up to 105F
o Cough
o Runny nose
o Red or watery eyes
• Two to three days after symptoms begin, you may have:
o Tiny white spots appear inside of the mouth.
• Three to five days after symptoms begin, you could also have:
o A rash of flat red spots appear on the face and spread to the neck, chest, arms, legs, and feet.
o Small raised bumps may appear on the flat red spots.
• Common complications may include ear infections, hearing loss, and diarrhea.
• Severe complications may include pneumonia, swelling of the brain, and death.