Measles Health Alert

The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued a measles health alert and is urging immunization against this highly contagious illness. State health officials are asking health care providers to be on alert for potential exposures and patients with measles symptoms. Additional information regarding the Texas DSHS alert is available at https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/DynamicContent.aspx?id=8589979777.

As of August 21, 2013, the Houston Department of Health and Human Services has identified a laboratory-confirmed case of measles in an unimmunized 1-year-old Hispanic male. The case was confirmed by clinical description and a positive serum IgM. The patient presented with cough, congestion, fever and rash with no recent travel history.

All healthcare providers are requested to consider measles in the initial differential diagnosis of patients with compatible symptoms (febrile rash illness), particularly those who have traveled abroad or come into contact with a known measles case. Definitions for case classification are listed below.

Clinical description:

An acute illness characterized by:

• Generalized rash lasting ≥3 days; and
• temperature ≥101°F or 38.3°C; and
• cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis

Confirmed:

An acute febrile rash illness with:

• isolation of measles virus from a clinical specimen; or
• detection of measles virus-specific nucleic acid from a clinical specimen using polymerase chain reaction; or
• IgG seroconversion or a significant rise in measles IgG antibody using any evaluated and validated method; or
• a positive serologic test for measles IgM antibody performed by a public health laboratory; or
• direct epidemiologic linkage to a case confirmed by one of the methods above.

Patients suspected to have measles should have blood drawn to detect IgM antibody and specimens collected for viral isolation (pharyngeal swab preferred) at the time of the initial medical visit. Providers should also take appropriate infection control precautions and immediately report any suspected cases to their local health department.

Houston Area Health Departments

Houston Department of Health and Human Services
Telephone: (832) 393-5080 24 hr. #
Fax: (832) 393-5232
www.houstonhealth.org

Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services
Telephone: (713) 439-6000
Fax: (713) 439-6306
After Hours: (713) 755-5000
www.hcphes.org

Texas Department of State Health Services
Health Service Region 6/5 South
Telephone: (713) 767-3000
Fax: (713) 767-3006
After hours: (800) 270-3128
www.dshs.state.tx.us/region6-5/default.shtm

Montgomery County Public Health Department
Telephone: (936) 523-5026
Fax: (936) 539-9272
After hours: (888) 825-9754
www.mchd-tx.org/publichealth

Brazoria County Health Department
Telephone: (979) 864-1166
Fax: (979) 864-1501
After hours: (800) 511-1632
www.publichealthmatters.net

Galveston County Health District
Telephone: (409) 938-2322
Fax: (409) 938-2399
After hours: (409) 599-1533
www.gchd.org

Fort Bend County Health and Human Services
Telephone: (281) 342-6414
Fax: (281) 342-7371
After hours: (281) 434-6494
www.fortbendcountyhhs.com/