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Friday, June 24, 2011

US : Isolated measles outbreak has Indiana officials on alert

Via Reuters, excerpt :

" Health officials in Indiana were on alert on Thursday after five measles cases were confirmed in Noble County in the northeastern part of the state.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin said his department had dispatched workers to seven nearby counties in northern Indiana to identify any additional cases of the highly contagious disease and to prevent its spread.

The workers have also been given additional doses of the measles vaccine. Individuals who have been exposed to an infected person can obtain the vaccine at no cost, according to a statement released by Larkin's office.

"With measles, even one case is considered an outbreak," Larkin said.

Indiana is the latest state to find itself tracking down measles victims as the once rare disease makes its way back into the public.

An outbreak in Northern Utah forced a power plant to turn away workers earlier this week after a local resident was diagnosed. Utah also had an earlier measles outbreak this spring in the Salt Lake City Area.

The Vermont Department of Health issued a measles alert on Tuesday after a suspected case turned up in a young child in Washington County and an alert went out in April in New Jersey."

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