Officials report first Clark County measles case since 2011

By Jackie Valley

Published Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | 3:29 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | 4:45 p.m.

A school-age child in Clark County has been diagnosed with measles, prompting health officials to urge parents to watch for signs of the contagious disease.

The Southern Nevada Health District was notified Wednesday about the measles diagnosis, said Dr. Joseph Iser, the county's chief health officer. It's the first reported case in Clark County since 2011.

The health district sent a letter home with students at the infected child's school, notifying parents of the diagnosis. Parents have been asked to keep their children home for 21 days if they have not been fully immunized, Iser said.

Children who are allergic to the measles vaccine or have religious objections are not required to be immunized to attend school, Iser said.

"Parents have to be vigilante and look for signs and symptoms," he said. "It is a very infectious disease."

Symptoms of measles include a mild fever, coughing and a rash that generally covers the entire body. Measles — considered a childhood disease — can be deadly, but most children recover without any significant complications, Iser said.

The health district is asking adults who suspect they or their children have measles to call their doctor before going to a hospital or emergency room, where it would be easy for the disease to spread.

Iser said the community has a "shared responsibility" to protect others who are vulnerable to contracting the disease, such as people with weakened immune systems or children not fully immunized.

So far, the health district has not been able to connect the Clark County case to a recent outbreak tied to Disneyland. Health officials still are investigating how the child may have contracted the disease, Iser said.

More than 70 people from six states and Mexico have fallen ill since mid-December in the Disney outbreak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.