Measles at the University of Minnesota: 1 Student Confirmed With Infection, Recovering in Isolation
ByThe measles, a highly contagious viral infection, has cropped up on the University of Minnesota (UM) Twin Cities campus, the school has confirmed.
According to KARE 11, the Minnesota Department of Health said there is currently one case at the school, a 20-year-old male student. UM said the student had returned from a trip overseas and is currently recovering in isolation, due to the nature of the infection.
Less than a week between returning to campus and being diagnosed, the student reportedly went to classes and the Recreation and Wellness Center.
"We don't see measles that often, in fact we haven't seen it in years on campus. Most of my clinicians can't even remember seeing a case actually in their career," Dr. Gary Christenson, chief medical officer for Boynton Health Service on campus, told KARE 11.
Fortunately for UM, most of the campus is immunized for measles, per the school's admission policy, but some faculty members and staffers are not. Christenson said he does not know if the infected student was immunized.
State officials said it is important for parents to make sure their kids are immunized against the measles.
"Measles is an extremely contagious disease, and potentially very serious for those who haven't been vaccinated," Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota commissioner of health, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "We are going to be watching this situation very closely."
In a statement on the potential for an outbreak on campus, UM said: Symptoms include rash, accompanied by fever and in some cases cough or runny nose. "Symptoms appear about eight to 12 days after a person is exposed to measles. The first symptom is usually fever. The rash usually appears two to three days after the fever begins and lasts five to six days. The disease has become very rare in the United States, thanks to widespread vaccination."