AUGUSTA - The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is investigating a travel-associated confirmed case of measles in Franklin County; currently there are no other cases reported or under investigation in Maine. This case was confirmed at the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. The last reported measles case in Maine was in 1997.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Measles can cause severe health complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. Measles is transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes; infected people are contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days afterwards. After an infected person leaves a location, the virus remains alive for up to two hours on surfaces and in the air. The incubation period-the period from exposure to onset of symptoms-is typically 10-14 days, but can be as long as 21 days.
"The Maine CDC is working with clinicians to identify potentially exposed individuals and make appropriate recommendations to prevent transmission," said State Epidemiologist Dr. Siiri Bennett, in a news release.

The public may have been exposed to measles if they were at the following locations during the defined time periods:

Location Date Time
Narrow Gauge Cinema (Farmington, ME) Thursday June 15 4-9pm
Grantlee's Tavern and Grill (Farmington, ME) Thursday June 15 7-11pm
Farmington Farmers Market (Farmington, ME) Saturday June 17 8am-2pm
The Kingfield Woodsman (Kingfield, ME) Sunday June 18 10am-2pm
Restaurant la Chocolaterie (Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada) Sunday June 18 12-4pm
Franklin Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Sunday June 18 8-10:30pm
Franklin Memorial Hospital Laboratory Monday June 19 12-2:30pm

Individuals who were potentially exposed (as defined by the table above) should review their vaccine history and monitor for symptoms. Individuals with symptoms should contact their providers for instructions before arriving at the providers' offices or hospitals. If symptoms are consistent with the disease, testing may be performed to determine whether the individual is infected. Individuals without symptoms should not be tested.

The best protection against measles is vaccination. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine provides long-lasting protection against all strains of measles.

• Children. All children should receive two doses of MMR. The first dose should be given at 12 through 15 months of age and the second at 4 through 6 years of age. Children who are 6 through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally should receive 1 dose of MMR vaccine. Every effort should be made to identify and vaccinate children who are not up-to date.

• Adults. All adults should have acceptable proof of immunity to measles which is defined as written documentation of adequate vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, birth before 1957, or laboratory confirmation of disease. For adults with no evidence of immunity to measles, 1 dose of MMR vaccine is recommended, unless the adult is in a high risk group (e.g., international travelers, health care workers, and college students), in which case 2 doses of MMR vaccine are recommended. Women are advised to not receive any live virus vaccine during pregnancy, including MMR.

Measles is a notifiable disease in Maine. All suspected cases of measles should be reported immediately by phone to 1-800-821-5821. For More Information:
• Maine CDC's measles webpage: www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vaccine/measles.shtml
• Federal CDC's measles webpage: www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html
• Maine Immunization Program webpage: www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/immunization/