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Maine CDC was notified Tuesday by Massachusetts public health authorities that a student in Massachusetts who tested positive for measles visited the Kittery Outlet Malls on April 20 while infected by the virus.
The individual who is from Western Europe and was unvaccinated, shopped at the malls between noon and 3 p.m. and stopped in stores including but not limited to: The Kittery Trading Post, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and J. Crew.
“Since measles is a contagious airborne disease people who were at the Kittery malls from noon to 5 p.m. on April 20 should check their immunization records and be aware of the symptoms," said Dr. Christopher Pezzullo, Acting Chief Health Officer of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
People who are vaccinated are unlikely to be affected by exposure. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spreads downward.
“Infected people are contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days after,” Pezzullo said. “As the exposure took place nine days ago, early treatments for those who may have been impacted is not effective. We recommend that a person with symptoms contact their primary care provider by phone to discuss treatment, as isolation to prevent the spread of measles may be necessary.”
Maine’s last case of measles was reported in 1997, and there are currently no cases of measles in Maine.
Pezzullo said that since Maine has a high vaccination rate against measles, a widespread outbreak is unlikely. This event serves as a strong reminder of the importance of vaccination against the disease, he said.
“Most measles cases in this country have been among unvaccinated people and people with unknown vaccination status,” Pezzullo said. “This incident offers an opportunity to encourage people to know their vaccination status and to get vaccinated if necessary.”
The United States is currently experiencing a large, multi-state outbreak of measles. As of April 24, 166 cases have been reported in 19 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/measles/
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. This year's theme is Inspect and Protect.
Lyme disease is the most common vectorborne disease in Maine. Cases have already been reported in 2015, and the number will rise as the weather continues to get warmer.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried by the deer tick. Cases have been increasing each year in Maine, and occur in all 16 counties. More than 1,395 cases of Lyme disease were reported statewide in 2014. Lyme disease is most common among school age children and adults older than 65. Most infections occur during the summer months.
The most common early symptom of Lyme disease is an expanding red rash that occurs 3-30 days after being bitten. Fever, headache, joint and muscle pains, and fatigue are also common during the first several weeks. Later features of Lyme disease can include arthritis in one or more joints (often the knee), Bell's palsy and other cranial nerve palsies, meningitis and carditis (AV block). Lyme disease is treatable, and the majority of patients recover after receiving appropriate therapy.
Other tickborne diseases:
Other diseases that are carried by ticks in Maine include Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Powassan. Symptoms of Anaplasma include: fever, headache, malaise and body aches. Symptoms of Babesia include: extreme fatigue, aches, fever, chills, sweating, dark urine and possibly anemia. Symptoms of Powassan include: fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, seizures, encephalitis and meningitis.
In 2014, providers reported more than 190 cases of Anaplasmosis and 42 cases of Babesiosis. One anaplasmosis case and one babesiosis case have already been reported in 2015.
For more information:
Lisa Sockabasin, Director of Maine CDC’s Office
of Health Equity, was recently nominated for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
2015 Native American Child Health Advocacy Award. The nomination acknowledges her
significant efforts related to improving the health of American Indian/Alaska
Native children.
The Maine Suicide Prevention Program will sponsor Beyond the Basics of Suicide Prevention 2015: Pathway to Prevention: Working Toward Zero Suicide in Maine on from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Abromson Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
This
event serves as a best practices conference offering participants in-depth and
progressive information and the latest research in the field of suicide and
suicide prevention. It is designed for an adult audience who has attained basic
training and knowledge in suicide and suicide prevention, and wishes to expand
its knowledge and ability to engage in suicide prevention in Maine.
The program includes the most up-to-date research on suicidology and evidence-based tools
and provides participants with information to use in everyday practical
applications.
The target audience for this conference is primary care physicians, physician
assistants, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health professionals,
alcohol and drug counselors, social workers, public safety professionals,
military personnel, public health professionals, educators, families and
community members.
For
more information and to register: http://msppconference2015.eventbrite.com
Cases of pertussis (whooping cough) continue to be reported statewide.
A total of 151 cases have been reported in Maine this year, as of April 27. The majority of the cases are in school-aged children.
Maine CDC encourages providers who see patients for cough in an outbreak area to test for pertussis and treat empirically. (Providers do not need to wait for positive
results to return or a two-week history of cough in order to treat.)
DTaP vaccine is recommended for all infants and children. Tdap vaccine is recommended for all preteens, teens, and adults, including health care providers and during the third trimester of every pregnancy. Per ACOG (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), Tdap is also recommended for every pregnancy in
the third trimester.
For more guidance and information, visit http://go.usa.gov/dCO
Regional flu activity was reported in Maine for the week ending April 18.
Clinical recommendations and guidelines are available in the health alert issued January 15 (http://go.usa.gov/JXyY).
Weekly updates on flu cases are available online:
For more information, go to www.maineflu.gov or http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
As
of April 27, the latest Ebola case count reported from WHO is 14,890 confirmed
cases globally with an estimated 10,884 deaths.
The
Maine CDC Public Health Emergency Operations Center continues to monitor the
situation.
US
CDC has established guidelines for active screening of all travelers arriving
from the three West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea who
must enter the US through the five designated international US airport ports of
entry (JFK, Newark Liberty, Atlanta, Dulles and O’Hare).
For
more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/
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