Montana public health officials have identified five cases of measles in Gallatin County, the first confirmed instances of the infectious disease in the state since 1990.
In a Thursday evening press release, the state Department of Public Health and Human Services said the individuals — children and adults — are isolating at home in Gallatin County. All are unvaccinated or their vaccine status is not known, the release said.
County health officials are working to establish who else may have been exposed to the disease in recent days.
“The [Gallatin City County Health Department] continues to assess any potential exposures while the individuals were contagious and are contacting the people who may have been exposed. People potentially exposed are being provided with information about the exposure date and disease symptoms to watch out for,” the state press release said.
On its website, Gallatin County health officials listed two locations where members of the public could have been exposed to measles.
- Interwest Tire on Jackrabbit Lane in Belgrade on Monday, April 14, between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- North Coast Electric in Bozeman on Shedhorn Drive on Friday, April 11, between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
The announcement makes Montana one of 26 nationwide jurisdictions with measles cases, according to the most recent information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of April 10, the federal agency had confirmed 712 cases.
Montana officials said the infected people were exposed to the disease while traveling out of state, but did not say where.
The vast majority of nationwide cases, 97%, have affected people who are not vaccinated against measles, according to the CDC. About 70% of cases have occurred among those 19 years old and younger. Two children have died from the disease during the ongoing outbreak. A third death is under investigation.
In its Thursday press release, the state health department said that people “without prior measles infection or vaccination have a 90% likelihood of contracting the disease if exposed.”
The measles virus has an average incubation period of 14 days. Infectious particles can hang in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after someone leaves the area. A person carrying the virus can spread it to others days before they begin showing symptoms.
State officials described early measles symptoms as including “fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, white spots in the mouth, and a red rash that appears about 14 days after exposure.” Infants under 12 months of age, who are typically not recommended to get either of the two-dose MMR vaccine series, are particularly at risk of infection.
Some of the long-term health consequences from measles can include brain swelling, seizures, hearing loss, pneumonia, miscarriage and death.
The state health department said that a high level of vaccination at the community level helps protect infants and others who cannot be vaccinated from disease. The release did not state Gallatin County’s vaccination rate against measles.
“While it is unfortunate to have cases of measles after 35 years of disease inactivity in Montana, we have been working diligently with our local partners to prepare,” said Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek, the state health department’s public health physician, in the Thursday announcement. “We are confident that our public health and clinical partners will work together and address this situation as quickly as possible. It is important for everyone to know their vaccination status and to visit with their health department or health care provider if they are unsure.”
Montana legislation backed by Republican lawmakers in 2021 stripped a requirement from state law that required state officials to collect aggregated vaccination and exemption data from school districts and child care centers, creating a statewide information void about local vaccination rates.
A bill to reverse that decision, House Bill 364, has stalled in the state Legislature.
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