5:14PM  |  City Health Officer Mitchell Kushner has released more details regarding a measles patient in Long Beach.

While no additional details about the patient were released, the Long Beach Department of Health & Human Services said that people who were at the following locations in Long Beach on Saturday, January 3, 2015 between 9:00AM and 11:30AM may have been exposed:

    • Total Wellness Club – 6447 E. Spring St., 90815
    • Stater Brothers – 6501 E. Spring St., 90815
    • Bank of America – 6351 E. Spring St., 90815
    • Wells Fargo – 6402 E. Spring St., 90815

Those who were at any of the above locations between the hours noted should check their medical records, as well as records for any family members who may have been exposed, for two MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccinations.

“If only one or no MMR is documented, talk with your health care provider about receiving the MMR vaccination,” Kushner said in a statement. “All persons born before 1957 and persons with previously diagnosed measles are considered immune.”

Kushner also said residents should monitor themselves for symptoms, including fever and rash, through January 24, and if symptoms develop, stay home and call a health care provider immediately.

Kushner said residents can protect themselves from Measles by taking the following precautions:

    • Children should receive their first MMR vaccine at 12-15 months of age. The second dose of MMR is given at 4 to 6 years of age before going to school.
    • Vaccinating children, adolescents, and adults is the best way to protect infants who are too young to receive the MMR vaccine.
    • Vaccinations are safe. The benefits far outweigh any risks. Side effects are usually mild, such as soreness where the shot was given.
    • Measles is found in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Vaccination before traveling to these areas is recommended.

For more information about measles and vaccinations, click here.

BREAKING 10:25AM  |  One person was diagnosed with measles and hospitalized in Long Beach on Sunday following an outbreak at Disneyland, according to City Health Officer Dr. Mitchell Kushner.

No details about the patient, including age, neighborhood or frequented areas were immediately available, but the Long Beach Post is working on getting that information.

“There may be more secondary transmissions that will be uncovered, since measles is highly contagious,” Kushner said. “Orange County Health Care Agency is taking the lead with this investigation.”

Officials from the State Department of Public Health believe someone with measles was likely at Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure and spread the disease.

Eight people, ranging from age 8 months to 21 years, had been afflicted with measles in Orange County when it was last tallied on Friday, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

“We anticipate more cases,” Nicole Stanfield of the Orange County Health Care Agency said Friday, when state Department of Public Health officials confirmed eight cases of measles elsewhere in the state, plus two in Utah and one in Colorado, according to the Carlos Villatoro of the State Department of Public Health. “This is a really good reminder for everyone to get vaccinated.”

Early signs of measles include cough, runny nose and red eyes. Within a few days, a red rash appears, usually on the face, before spreading down the rest of the body. Measles is an infectious, airborne disease which can lead to to pneumonia, encephalitis, and sometimes death in children.

In 2000, the US Centers for Disease Control declared measles eliminated in the United States, thanks in large part to an effective vaccine. However, measles rates have risen dramatically over the past few years.

Last May, the CDC reported record numbers in 2014, due in large part to gaps in vaccinations. According to a CDC press release, “90 percent of all measles cases in the United States were in people who were not vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Among the US residents who were not vaccinated, 85 percent were religious, philosophical, or personal reasons.”

Orange County, which reported the highest rate of measles in the state last year, is also home to some of the state’s highest numbers of unvaccinated children. Of 20 who were infected in the current outbreak, at least 15 were not vaccinated. Out of seven of the California cases, six hadn’t been vaccinated; two of those were because the children were underage.

For information about vaccinations against measles and other diseases in Long Beach, click here.

City News Service contributed to this report.