Measles Warning Is Encore at Final Show of the Season

Orange County health officials issued an alert Friday to people who attended the season finale of the Orange County High School of the Arts that they may have been exposed to measles.

The warning is designed to let people know they may have been exposed and to help contain any transmission, said the county epidemiologist, Dr. Hildy Meyers.

The disease is caused by a virus and spreads easily by direct contact and through the air. Symptoms usually begin about 10 days after exposure and include a fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The classic blotchy rash usually appears around the hairline two to four days later, Meyers said.

One person at the performance, which took place at the Orange County Performing Arts Center Sunday, was diagnosed with measles.

Death is very rare but can occur from complications, which can include pneumonia and encephalitis. People at heightened risk for complications are those with weakened immune systems, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20, Meyers said. Pregnant women may face premature labor, spontaneous abortion or low birth-weight babies.

“We want to let people know so, if they develop an illness, they should stay home and don’t spread it and so their doctor can make the appropriate diagnosis,” she said.

There were four reported cases of measles in Orange County in 1999.

Meyers called issuing a warning “unusual” because “we have done a pretty good job of getting people vaccinated and controlling the disease.”