AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a travel-associated confirmed case of measles in Franklin County.
The CDC says there are currently no other cases of measles in Maine.
Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory confirmed the case and says the last case of measles was in 1997.
Maine CDC says measles are a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red eyes.
Measles can cause severe health complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and death and can be transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes; infected people are contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days afterwards.
After an infected person leaves a location, the virus remains alive for up to two hours on surfaces and in the air. The incubation period (the period from exposure to onset of symptoms) is typically 10-14 days, but can be as long as 21 days.
“The Maine CDC is working with clinicians to identify potentially exposed individuals and make appropriate recommendations to prevent transmission,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Siiri Bennett.
The public may have been exposed to measles if they were at the following locations during the defined time periods:
Location Date Time
Narrow Gauge Cinema (Farmington, ME) Thursday June 15 4-9pm
Grantlee’s Tavern and Grill (Farmington, ME) Thursday June 15 7-11pm
Farmington Farmers Market (Farmington, ME) Saturday June 17 8am-2pm
The Kingfield Woodsman (Kingfield, ME) Sunday June 18 10am-2pm
Restaurant la Chocolaterie (Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada) Sunday June 18 12–4pm
Franklin Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Sunday June 18 8-10:30pm
Franklin Memorial Hospital Laboratory Monday June 19 12-2:30pm
Individuals who were potentially exposed should review their vaccine history and monitor for symptoms.
Measles is a notifiable disease in Maine. All suspected cases of measles should be reported immediately by phone to 1-800-821-5821.