Possible Measles Case Reported in Baltimore County

This file photo of measles is from the Centers for Disease Control. Officials say a child in Baltimore may have measles.

Health officials said Friday that a Baltimore County child who was not vaccinated for the measles is being tested for the highly contagious illness.

“This may be a false alarm, and the patient may not have measles,” Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen, M.D., said in a statement Friday. A Baltimore baby who was thought to have measles in January ultimately tested negative, authorities noted.

“However, measles is highly contagious, and out of an abundance of caution, we are treating this as a suspected measles case and taking every necessary precaution to ensure the health and safety of Baltimore residents,” Wen said.

The current case of potential measles involves a child who lives in Baltimore County and was seen at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore City, according to a statement from the Baltimore City Health Department.

The initial diagnosis was “suggestive of measles, but further tests remain ongoing,” the Baltimore City Health Department statement said.

Measles symptoms typically take up to two weeks to surface and can include a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery/red eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Days after these symptoms appear, a person may get white spots inside the mouth and rash of red bumps from the face/hairline spreading down the body, the centers for disease control reports.

The child in Baltimore County, who has not been vaccinated for measles, is currently at home in isolation, Baltimore health officials said. Authorities report the child is not severely sick and is expected to make a full recovery.

More than 90 percent of children under 12 years old had measles before immunization was widely practiced, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Since 1993, there have been fewer than 1,000 measles cases reported.

Health officials encourage children to get vaccinated.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is hosting an annual Back to School Rally that includes free immunizations at the War Memorial Plaza from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. Bring vaccination records. There will also be free produce, backpacks and school supplies while items last.

Baltimore County is offering upcoming immunization clinics for students heading back to school too. These are free and families are asked to bring vaccination records:

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Essex Health Center, 201 Back River Neck Road
• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, at Woodlawn Health Center, 1811 Woodlawn Drive
• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Eastern Family Resource Center, 9100 Franklin Square Drive

According to Baltimore health officials, there has not been a documented case of the measles in Baltimore City in the last decade, largely because of what city health officials attribute to a “high citywide vaccination rate.”

Nearly 99 percent of public school children in Baltimore have been vaccinated, according to Baltimore City’s Health Department.