Wisconsin confirms measles case in Chippewa County as outbreak spreads to new counties

Wisconsin health officials announced on Tuesday 22 September that one confirmed case of measles has been detected in a Chippewa County resident, marking the third new county to report a case in the past week.

Vernon and Marathon counties also reported measles cases last week, extending the spread beyond the established outbreak in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties, where more than 160 cases have been tied to a single cluster. Wisconsin has now reported more than 170 measles cases this year; the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel cites a national total of more than 3,400 cases.

The Chippewa County case was confirmed by testing at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. State health officials said they are not currently aware of any public places where the resident could have unknowingly exposed someone else, and the county health department is tracing possible exposures. Officials have not said how the case was acquired.

“Measles is highly contagious, so confirming a case in our community is concerning,” said Chippewa County Health Officer Brittnay Herrick.

Stephanie Schauer, immunization program manager for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said one of the two Vernon County cases is likely linked to the southwestern Wisconsin cases.

Sources

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• TMJ4 News
• Chippewa County Department of Public Health, via Focal News
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services