Measles cases up to 6, including 4 in southern Ill.

SOUTHERN Ill. (KFVS) – The Illinois Department of Public Health reports the number of measles cases in the state is up to six, including four in southern Illinois.

According to the department, two new cases in southern Illinois were confirmed over the weekend, adding to two in the Marion area that were identified in April.

Two unrelated cases were previously confirmed in Cook County.

According to IDPH, one of the new cases over the weekend is in the Franklin-Williamson Bi-County area.

They say this now meets the technical Center for Disease Control and Prevention definition of an “outbreak” in that area, which is when three or more cases are linked to one another. They say social links between the three cases are known.

Another southern Illinois case may have visited locations in Missouri, including the St. Louis Aquarium.

“The risk to the general public from measles remains low,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release. “The key to preventing measles is the highly effective MMR vaccine. Two doses are 97% effective in preventing this serious infection. I recommend that our Illinois residents make sure they and their family members are up to date on the MMR vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations.”

Current information on potential sites where infected individuals may have exposed others can be found on the IDPH website at Measles Exposure Locations. This will be updated as the Department gets more information.

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