Indiana sees first confirmed case of measles of year

A person in northern Indiana who recently spent time in Steuben and LaGrange counties has been diagnosed with measles, state health officials announced Friday.

While the United States has been weathering multiple measles outbreaks this year, this case marks the first for Indiana. The state had one confirmed case of the disease in 2018.

Health officials warned last week of a possible measles exposure for a person who spent time at a hotel and restaurant in Indianapolis. Because that person was not diagnosed in Indiana and does not live here, the case did not count as a case in Indiana, Marion County Public Health Department officials said.

This year, the country has seen the second largest number of cases of measles since measles were thought to be eliminated at the turn of this century, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The nation has seen 387 cases of measles through the end of March, according to the CDC. Kentucky, Michigan and Illinois have all had cases.

From mid-March through April 2, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed 34 measles cases, 33 in Oakland County.

The northern Indiana resident spent time in Michigan and Texas as well as here during the infectious period, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.

Because the signature rash of measles is often not the first symptom of the virus, people who have the disease may not realize it until a few days into the course of the illness. Early symptoms, as with many other common viruses, often include fever, cough and runny nose. 

State health officials have said that people visiting Cameron Memorial Community Hospital Urgent Care in Angola Saturday between 3:45 and 6:35 p.m. may have been exposed. People at the hospital's laboratory between 5:30 and 8 p.m. should also be aware of potential exposure.

During the infectious period, the person diagnosed with measles also visited a Chuy's Restaurant in College Station, Texas, the previous day. On Sunday, the person was at Holy Angels Catholic Church, San Miguel Grocery and the Walmart Supercenter  in Sturgis, Michigan.

People who visited any of these locations on those dates should be on the alert from now until April 21 for the early symptoms followed by the signature rash. 

The best protection against measles is vaccination. More than 97 percent of people who receive two doses of vaccine will be protected. 

Contact IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky at 317-444-6354 or  shari.rudavsky@indystar.com. Follow her on  Facebook and on Twitter: @srudavsky.