State health officials have upgraded a potential case of measles in Churchill County to "probable." Lab results are still pending for a toddler in Fallon who has symptoms consistent with the disease. The toddler is being kept at home away from other people until testing is complete.
Channel 2 News reached out to medical experts at Banner Churchill Community Hospital for more information on detecting measles and outbreaks. We talked to Facility Medical Director Tedd McDonald, MD, to get some more insight on what “probable” means. “Probable for us means just that probably we do not definitely have any sort of -- we don't have a case of measles in Churchill County at this time,” said McDonald.
McDonald says when a case gets upgraded to "probable," it means it's something doctors are looking into further. “They can progress ahead with their testing to verify until they have a final, definitive answer,” said McDonald.
The young girl with measles symptoms in Churchill County visited three locations in Fallon where she could have been contagious.
Health officials say the girl went to the Safeway on West Williams Avenue on Tuesday, January 27th between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., the Walmart Supercenter along Reno Highway on Thursday January 29th between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and The Wok in South Maine Street on Friday January 30th between 5:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Stores we spoke with say they will not comment on the situation until the final results of the measles testing are complete.
KTVN Chloe Beardsley spoke with Marie Farabee, a mother who has lived in Fallon for the past four years. She told us she's been inside both Walmart and Safeway recently with her 4-year old son, Dakota. And she's not taking any chances. “I'm going to watch my kids like a hawk,” said Farabee.
We learned Dakota also has asthma, which raises another red flag when there's talk about the measles. “Anytime you have problems with your asthma, it gives everything else a chance out there to you know, make them sicker,” said Farabee. While the results of the little girl's case are pending, Marie is using all precautions to keep her little boy safe. “Hand sanitizing, washing hands,” said Farabee.
Doctors say people shouldn't be too alarmed about the pending case because the majority of people I Northern Nevada have been vaccinated, including more than 90% of children in schools.
Advice physicians gave were to tell people to be aware of the measles symptoms, and call the emergency room if you suspect any problems. Dr. McDonald says Banner Churchill Community Hospital has been prepared for outbreak events since talks about Ebola in the U.S. The hospital has been prepared since then in case and severe illnesses strain ever makes it to Nevada. “We have procedures where we can bring somebody in, isolate them, evaluate them with minimal risk of exposure to others,” said McDonald.
An update for the measles case here in Churchill County is expected from health officials on Friday.
