New case of measles near Phoenix brings area total to 18
Jun 22, 2016, 1:33 PM | Updated: 3:07 pm
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PHOENIX — The number of confirmed measles cases in Arizona has reached 18 on Wednesday with another reported in Pinal County.
Of the confirmed cases, only one has been in Maricopa County; all the rest have come in neighboring Pinal County, where the majority of diagnoses have been traced to a private detention facility, according to the state Department of Health Services.
The center is in Eloy, Arizona.
In late May, seven inmates and four workers were infected.
At the time, county health officials said they isolating patients and vaccinating detainees. The facility can house over 1,500.
The state has posted a list of possible exposure sites on its health department website.
In Maricopa County, the person with measles was no longer contagious.
The first two cases of the highly contagious virus were reported on May 26.
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable viral illness and symptoms can appear up to 21 days after exposure.
Symptoms include fever, red, watery eyes, cough and runny nose and is followed by a rash that is red, raised, and blotchy. The rash begins on the face at the hairline and moves down the body and may last five to six days.
Case counts are updated daily by the Arizona Department of Health Services.