Measles Outbreak at Wasatch High School Contributes to Rising Utah Case Count
HEBER CITY, Utah – Eight cases of measles have been confirmed among students at Wasatch High School, according to the Wasatch County Health Department. This outbreak contributes to a statewide surge, bringing Utah’s total number of measles infections past 100.
The initial report on Monday indicated five cases linked to the high school, with two additional suspected infections pending test results. Lana North, a spokesperson for the department, confirmed Tuesday that all three subsequent tests returned positive.”This brings Wasatch County’s total confirmed cases to eight,” North stated. All three newly confirmed cases involve unvaccinated students at Wasatch High School.
Health officials believe potential exposure occurred within the school during regular hours on November 14, 17, and 18, as well as at a school play held on November 15. A notification and guidance letter was sent to families of Wasatch High School students to inform them of the situation.
Jonelle Fitzgerald, director of the Wasatch County Health Department, noted that a wastewater test conducted on November 6 detected the presence of the virus in the community. “And with cases existing in other parts of the state, we weren’t surprised to see cases here,” she saeid.
Statewide, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services reports 102 confirmed measles cases as of today. Southwest Utah Health District currently leads the state with 74 cases, followed by Utah County with nine, and now Wasatch County with eight. The dashboard indicates 24 new diagnoses within the last three weeks.
Health officials are urging vigilance as the holiday season approaches, emphasizing the highly contagious nature of measles. Symptoms typically appear one to three weeks after exposure and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a rash that begins on the face and spreads downward.
The Wasatch County Health department advises anyone experiencing these symptoms to contact their healthcare provider instantly, particularly if unvaccinated or known to have been exposed. They strongly recommend residents receive both doses of the MMR vaccine, citing its 97% effectiveness in preventing the illness.
(Note: The disclaimer about key takeaways generated with LLMs has been omitted as per the request for a fully original piece.)
