Louisiana Department of Health confirms measles case in New Orleans
Updated: August 9, 2024 10:38pm CDT
We'll start now. Tonight, the state health department is working to determine if more people may have been exposed to measles. There is currently one confirmed case in New Orleans, and officials say the foreign national was staying at a local hotel. WDSU reporter Jonah Gilmore is here with us live. Jonah, the health department says even one case is an alarming number. Now, according to the Sarajena Health Department here in Oxnard, even one case is an alarming number. Because measles is contagious and spreads easily. They say it only takes one person to catch the virus to infect many more people. The concern is because the disease is so contagious. The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed that a foreign national who visited New Orleans has tested positive for measles. Measles is spread not only through droplets, but also through the air. Doctor in infection control and prevention at Ochsner Hospital. According to Dr. Katherine Baumgarten, measles is spread by sneezing or coughing, and the virus can survive in the air or on surfaces for about two hours. Measles can cause symptoms such as fever, runny nose, and red and watery eyes, she said. One of the main signs of measles is a rash, which can appear two or three days after symptoms begin. The rash is usually a red, bumpy rash that starts on the face or forehead and spreads across the body, sometimes all over the body. LDH said the person was staying at the Ramada Inn on Chef Highway in East New Orleans. Our public health department will be assisting this hotel with their response. You know what happened in February with that person staying there. There were two cases of measles in New Orleans, but they were contained. Dr. Baumgarten says the best way to prevent infection is to make sure you get vaccinated. We want to continue to monitor, even with isolated cases, to make sure we don't continue to have transmission in the community. Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to measles is strongly encouraged to see their doctor. This person is an international visitor to New Orleans, so we asked about exposure at the airport. A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health says there is no concern of exposure at the airport or on flights to New Orleans. We're reporting live from outside Ochsner Medical Center. Jonah Gilmore, WDSU News. According to the CDC, unvaccinated people are at risk of contracting measles, which can cause serious health complications, especially for children under the age of 5. Measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000. However, it is still common in many parts of the world. Every year, measles is brought into the United States by unvaccinated travelers. According to the CDC, these travelers are at greatest risk.
Louisiana Department of Health confirms measles case in New Orleans
Updated: August 9, 2024 10:38 PM CDT
The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed one case of measles in New Orleans. The patient is an international traveler who was unvaccinated and contracted measles outside the United States. The health department says it is working to identify and notify people who may have been in contact with the infected person. Anyone who visited the Ramada by Wyndham New Orleans, located at 6303 Chef Menteur Highway, on Wednesday, August 7, may have been exposed to measles and is at risk of developing symptoms within 21 days of exposure. The patient was treated at a New Orleans hospital. This is the third measles case reported in Louisiana this year.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana —
The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed one case of measles in New Orleans.
The patient is an unvaccinated international traveler who contracted measles outside the United States.
LDH says it is working to identify and notify people who may have come into contact with the infected person.
Anyone who visited the Ramada by Wyndham New Orleans, located at 6303 Chef Menteur Highway, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, may have been exposed to measles and is at risk of developing symptoms within 21 days of the date of exposure.
The patient was treated at a hospital in New Orleans.
This is the third case of measles reported in Louisiana this year.
