Las Vegas restaurant worker, child diagnosed with measles

By Jackie Valley

Published Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 | 2:15 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 | 3:29 p.m.

Two more people in Clark County have been diagnosed with measles, including a restaurant worker, the Southern Nevada Health District reported today.

There have been four confirmed cases of measles this year in Clark County, officials said.

A young child is the fourth confirmed case based on testing completed this morning. The child previously had received a single dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, officials said.

The third measles patient, confirmed late Tuesday through testing, is an undervaccinated adult who works at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand.

Because measles is highly infectious, the Health District is urging people who visited the restaurant after 4 p.m. Feb. 4 through Saturday to review their immunization records and contact their medical providers if they are not fully vaccinated and have not already had measles.

The adult also attended the Las Vegas Pet Expo at Cashman Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, so the Health District is asking expo attendees to follow the same precautions.

Anyone who visited those places and develops a rash with fever or other measles symptoms within 21 days should contact a doctor.

Health officials recommend that people with symptoms call their doctors before entering a health facility to minimize the spread of the disease.

Brian Labus, senior epidemiologist at the Southern Nevada Health District, said identifying every person who came in contact with the adult who worked at the restaurant and attended the pet expo would be difficult. The district has been in touch with the properties and is working to “do anything we can,” he said.

“With the widespread measles outbreak going on in this country, it’s not like this is the only exposure people will have,” Labus said.

A Valley High School student diagnosed with measles last month was the first confirmed case in Clark County this year.

No additional cases have been identified among the student’s classmates, and the period of concern for contracting measles from the student has ended, officials said.

The second Clark County resident to develop measles was an unvaccinated adult who was not related to the high school student. The Health District still is contacting people who might have had interactions with that patient.

Symptoms of measles can occur as soon as 10 days after exposure to the virus.

An infected person typically develops a fever that can last two to four days and reach 105 degrees, followed by a runny nose, cough and red eyes.

About two weeks after exposure, the virus’ signature rash appears and can last five to six days. The rash begins at the hairline before moving to the face and neck and onto the hands and feet.

In severe cases, measles can result in pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures or even death. Most people are protected from measles because they were either born before 1957 and had the disease as a child or have been vaccinated against it.

Children should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine — the first between 12 and 15 months and the second between the ages of 4 to 6.

“The best way to prevent it is to get vaccinated,” Labus said, urging people to check immunization records for their children and themselves.

Residents in need of an immunization can visit one of the following public health centers:

• Main Public Health Center, 330 S. Valley View Blvd. Open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Henderson Public Health Center, 520 E. Lake Mead Parkway. Open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• East Las Vegas Public Health Center, 560 E. Nellis Blvd. in Suite E-12. Open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Mesquite Public Health Center, 830 Hafen Lane. Open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.