Shoppers at a suburban Chicago Aldi store are being warned of the possibility of exposure to measles after a new case was detected in Cook County.
The Cook County Department of Public Health said it confirmed its third suburban measles case this year last week. The positive case was found in an adult with an unknown vaccination status, who is believed to have contracted the virus from another positive case last month.
Public health officials said they were working to identified and notify anyone who may have been exposed, identifying at least one point of “public exposure” — an Aldi store in Crestwood.
Anyone who shopped between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the grocery store located at 4820 Cal Sag Rd. was warned of potential exposure.
The previous measles case detected in Cook County was identified in a 4-year-old child who lives in the Chicago suburbs. Health officials believe that case was linked to international travel and were working to notify people who may have been exposed.
Terminal 5 at O’Hare International Airport was a point of public exposure, specifically between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sept. 11.
Measles is a respiratory disease caused by one of the world’s most contagious viruses. Other confirmed cases include a Chicago resident and a suburban resident in April.
As of early September, nearly 1,500 measles cases had been reported and three people have died this year nationwide.
In May, around 45% of Chicago Public Schools met the Centers for Disease Control and Protection’s vaccination rate benchmark at a 95% vaccination rate for measles, a Sun-Times analysis found.
Anyone who may have been exposed should verify their vaccination status with their doctor. Anyone who is exposed and develops symptoms should call a healthcare provider before going to a hospital to avoid exposing more people, CCDPH said.
“This is a critical reminder for residents traveling to areas with active measles transmission to follow recommendations to get vaccinated with the MMR vaccine at least two weeks prior to travel. Children between the age of 6 and 11 months should get an early dose of the vaccine if they are planning on international travel,” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health.
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.