When talking about measles, Dr. Carla Carreno of Children's Health Plano warns it's a highly contagious viral infection. It spreads through respiratory droplets.
“That can travel more than six feet and can stay in an environment up to two hours after the patient has already left the room,” Director of Infection Prevention and Control Children’s Health Plano Dr. Carla Carreno said. “So, it's very contagious, so it can spread very easily.”
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WATCH HERECarreno added even though the current outbreak is happening outside of Lubbock in West Texas, people travel, and doctors here in North Texas are on alert.
“As doctors, we're always aware that we could present with a case of measles in the community,” Careeno said. “So, we always have to have the high index of suspicion if a patient presents with those symptoms that I was mentioning before.”
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SIGN UP Those signs start with flu-like symptoms of cough, congestion, and fever.
“That's going to be followed by an appearance of a rash, usually after day three or so of the fever, and the rash will start in the face and neck area and will spread downwards.”
In Lubbock, health officials have opened a testing site and a vaccination clinic.
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Carreno said there is no cure for measles, but adds vaccination is the best protection from getting it.
“Prevention is the key, and we have a very good vaccine that is 95% effective after one dose and about 99% effectiveness after the second dose is provided to babies at one year of age,” she said. “The second dose is at four to six years of age.”
So far all the cases are in unvaccinated patients.
Experts are concerned the numbers might grow in the coming weeks. It takes up to two weeks for symptoms to develop after a person is exposed.
