Health officials in Western Pennsylvania county declare measles outbreak

ERIE COUNTY, Pa. — There’s now a measles outbreak in a Western Pennsylvania county.

Erie County Health Department officials on Monday announced two more confirmed measles cases, bringing the total of cases identified in recent weeks to five. The newest confirmed cases are due to “direct exposures” from a person who tested positive for the highly contagious virus on March 30.

Since the three most recent cases are epidemiologically linked, the CDC now defines them as an outbreak.

Still, Erie County health officials say they don’t believe there is a high risk of community spread from these cases as a result of contract tracing and quarantine measures for anyone exposed to the virus.

As of April 10, the CDC reports 712 confirmed measles cases across 25 states.

According to the CDC, measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and rash.

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