Measles Epidemic Is Declared Over

The measles epidemic in Ventura County is officially over, according to Ventura County health officials. There have been no reported cases of the disease in the past five weeks.

The outbreak began in January and consisted of 74 cases. A handful of cases in Washington state also were traced to a Ventura County carrier of the viral infection. Forty percent of the cases were reported in Oxnard, 34% in Ventura and 26% in other areas of the county.

Ventura County Public Health Officer Gary M. Feldman credits reporting and follow-up by school nurses and private physicians for ending the epidemic.

During the outbreak, the county opened special immunization clinics, received assistance from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles county nurses and sent home information with schoolchildren alerting parents to the epidemic.

Measles can be prevented with a vaccine, which should be given at 12 months of age along with a second dose at age 4 or older. During the epidemic, the Public Health Department administered more than 7,000 doses of the vaccine during January and February, about six times the amount it usually gives out during those months.

Symptoms of the disease include a high fever, cough, runny nose and sensitivity to light. Residents who think they have the measles should call health officials at 652-5918 in Ventura, 385-8652 in Oxnard, or 584-4887 in Simi Valley.