Measles patient treated, isolated after Memphis arrival

Two years after experiencing what was then the nation's largest measles outbreak, Shelby County is again a focus of efforts to contain the highly contagious virus.

A "small child" who arrived from overseas at Memphis International Airport on Monday night was undergoing treatment in isolation Thursday at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital after being diagnosed with measles, said Dr. Helen Morrow, health officer for the Health Department.

About 75 local residents who might have been exposed to the disease either on the plane or in the hospital have been notified and are being provided "appropriate evaluation and follow-up services," Morrow said.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can be prevented through a two-step vaccination process typically completed before children enter school. Symptoms begin with a fever, runny nose, red eyes and a cough, and then a rash that spreads from the head down the body.

Most patients suffer a relatively mild illness, but the virus can trigger complications such as brain inflammation, which can lead to hospitalization and even death. 

The unidentified child traveled on a flight from Brussels, Belgium, to Newark, New Jersey, and from there to Memphis. Because the airport terminal was "pretty much empty" when the flight from Newark arrived, almost all of the potential exposure risk involved fellow passengers — those seated within two rows in front or back of the child — and people at the hospital, Morrow said. 

"This child came in late at night into the airport, so we don't have much exposure at all from that aspect," Morrow added.

Measles was suspected because the child had a fever and the tell-tale rash. Patients are contagious from about four days before until four days after the rash develops.

"To the best of my knowledge, the child is doing very well," Morrow said.

Asked about the child's place of residence, Morrow said he or she "came from overseas."

More:Travelers who landed in Detroit, Newark, Memphis pop up with measles

In addition to the Memphis patient, another international traveler who landed in Detroit earlier this month was confirmed as having measles, health officials in Michigan and New Jersey said on Wednesday.

 Health Department officials reiterated Thursday that immunization is the most effective method of preventing measles. Babies should be given their first measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination at between 12 and 15 months of age, with a second shot, virtually ensuring full protection, required before starting school.

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 24, a total of 13 people in seven states, including Arkansas, were reported to have had measles, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the spring of 2016, Shelby County experienced a measles outbreak that sickened seven people, all of whom recovered. The local patients represented 8 percent of the 86 measles cases reported nationwide that year.

The Health Department never was able to establish how the disease arrived in the county to trigger the outbreak.

Reach Tom Charlier at thomas.charlier@commercialappeal.com or 901-529-2572 and on Twitter at @thomasrcharlier.