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- Utah reports 115 measles cases with latest at Bingham High's Kopper Kids child care.
- The infected individual was unvaccinated and infectious from Dec. 1-5.
- Health officials urge vaccination as measles is highly contagious and airborne.
SOUTH JORDAN — Utah continues to see the number of measles cases across the state rise, with the current count at 115 infections, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services dashboard on Monday.
The latest case has been confirmed at the Bingham Kopper Kids child care facility, located within Bingham High School in South Jordan, the Salt Lake County Health Department announced in a news release on Monday.
The department said the infected individual is unvaccinated, and the source of how or where they became infected is unknown, but they noted that the person was infectious while they were at the facility from Dec. 1 through Dec. 5.
Health officials did not indicate whether the infected person was an adult or a child.
In working with the Bingham High School and Jordan School District, the health department says it has "directly notified everyone unvaccinated who is known to have had direct contact with the infected individual."
Additionally, the department said, since measles is exceptionally contagious, can travel through the air, and can remain in the air even after an infected person leaves the area, the school district also notified everyone in the Bingham High School community of this possible exposure.
"Measles is extremely contagious, so quick action is critical," said Dorothy Adams, executive director at the Salt Lake County Health Department. "Because we don't know where this infection originated, it's important that everyone in the Bingham school community be aware of symptoms and the possibility they were exposed."
The health department warned that symptoms can usually appear up to 21 days after exposure and may include high fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes, followed by a rash. So they advise anyone associated with Bingham High School who develops symptoms to contact their health care provider or clinic before arriving so the facility can provide instructions about how to seek care without exposing other people to the virus.
Health officials say the best form of protection against measles is vaccination.
The department said two doses of the MMR vaccine can prevent more than 97% of measles infections. It added that vaccinated people who do get measles tend to have milder symptoms and are less likely to spread the virus.
"Unvaccinated people — including children too young to be vaccinated — are more likely to experience severe complications," the department noted.
