Measles in Wisconsin, cases rising as school season approaches

MILWAUKEE - Concern is growing over a measles outbreak in the state. Health officials are investigating more than 20 suspected cases in western Wisconsin.

Measles cases rising

What we know:

As kids head back to school, health officials are urging people to get vaccinated. They say it is the most important thing you can do to stop the spread. All of the cases are in Iowa and Lafayette counties. Physicians say, just because it is not here, does not mean there should not be concern.

"This is a deadly disease," Dr. Kristin Bencik, a pediatrician with Children’s Wisconsin said. "It is one of the most contagious diseases in the world and there is no reason we should be seeing measles right now."

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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced 15 cases of the disease have been confirmed, with an additional six probable cases. Twenty of those are in Iowa County, one in Lafayette, all in the western part of the state.

"Our goal is to completely stop measles transmission in the community and anytime we have a case or a cluster of cases," Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Wisconsin Department of Health Services chief medical officer for communicable diseases said.

Stopping the spread

What we know:

A majority of those infected are children. Pediatricians like Dr. Bencik say the only way to stop the spread is with the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, or MMR.

"There is nothing more important you can do for your child right now to help protect them," Bencik said.

Measles is spread through the air and can start with a fever and cough, then spread to a whole-body rash. It can lead to brain damage and death. It is most serious for kids younger than 5.

"The reason we’re seeing measles is there’s so much misinformation about the importance of vaccines," Bencik said.

There have been more than 2,500 cases in the U.S. so far this year. As kids head back to school, physicians worry it could grow.

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"It’s going to spread like a wildfire," Bencik said. "We are nowhere near done with this measles outbreak."

The MMR vaccine comes in two doses. The first being at 12 months, the second at 4 years old. Those two doses provide 97% protection against measles. Of the 23 cases in the state so far this year, all but one person were unvaccinated.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ashley Sears and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.