Measles case identified in Flathead County

Flathead County health officials on Wednesday said they had confirmed a case of measles in a local adult who had recently traveled out of state. 

The announcement brings Montana’s total number of identified measles cases this year up to nine, with the rest in Gallatin County. The cases, first announced in April, made Montana part of a nationwide outbreak that has sickened at least 1,024 people and killed three, according to a May 15 update by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Until this year, Montana had last recorded a case of measles in 1990.

Measles is highly contagious among people who have not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine or are not otherwise immunized against the disease, including infants and young children. According to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, all eight infected Gallatin County residents were members of two households who had had out-of-state exposure. The individuals — children and adults — were either “not immunized against measles or had an unknown vaccination status,” health officials said, and have all since recovered.

Health officials in Flathead County said the individual had recently traveled out of state and was isolating at home. The department said the person’s vaccination status was unknown but that investigators had confirmed that the adult was “not in any public settings while infectious.”

“Our staff swiftly conducted the investigation upon receiving notification from the state and were able to quickly identify close contacts to prevent further spread. Staff are diligently working with local health care providers to remain in communication. We appreciate their partnership,” Flathead City-County Health Officer Jen Rankosky said in a Wednesday press release.

Vaccine appointments and more information about clinic hours are available through the health department’s website. Health officials are also encouraging anyone in need of a vaccine to contact their health provider.

An online survey posted by Flathead health department is designed to guide individuals through questions to help determine whether they may need an MMR vaccine, according to their date of birth and other vaccination information.

The Flathead health department did not provide Montana Free Press with a county-level vaccination rate before publication Thursday, citing a 2021 law that struck a data-sharing provision between public schools and the state health department from state law. 

“As such, we do not have vaccination rates by county,” said Kilani Klette, deputy health officer, in an email Thursday. 

County-level vaccination data is also not available on the Department of Public Health and Human Services dedicated measles information page.

Measles is most often transmitted through particles spread by droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or breathes. The droplets can remain in the air in a location where an infectious person was for up to two hours and can also linger on physical surfaces. Early symptoms of the disease include coughing, running nose, fever, and white spots inside the mouth. A red rash may appear approximately 14 days after someone was exposed to another infectious person.

Tribal health officials from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, whose Flathead Indian Reservation overlaps with a southern portion of Flathead County, also emphasized the contagiousness and risk of measles in a public announcement. The release encourages anyone unsure of their vaccination status to call Tribal Health at 406-745-3525. 

“[Tribal Health] highly encourages community members to be aware of their vaccination status,” the department said in a Wednesday statement. 

Vaccinations are available at Tribal Health pharmacies in St. Ignatius, Ronan and Polson, without an appointment required, as well at upcoming advertised community events. Tribal Health patients can also make appointments for vaccination at CSKT’s medical clinics.