Florida Measles Outbreak: 7th Case Recorded in Student From Elementary School

Authorities from Florida confirmed that the state's 7th case of measles has been recorded in a student from an elementary school.

The development was confirmed on Tuesday by Health officials with the Broward County Public School (BCPS) being informed by the Florida Department of Health - Broward about the new case. The infection was linked to the Manatee Bay Elementary located in Weston, which is located roughly 20 miles west of Fort Lauderdale.

Florida Measles Outbreak

(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida officials confirmed its 7th case of measles in a student from a local elementary school as health officials urge caution among parents.

The affected patient was said to have not been physically on campus since Feb. 15 and the district and school were continuing to work with the health department regarding other cases. The superintendent for BCPS, Dr. Peter Licata, said on Tuesday that no other schools in the district have been affected by the measles case.

He added that they were conducting daily cleaning on school buses as well as the facility above and beyond normal operations. Licata added that they have additional vaccination opportunities which are available online, as per ABC News.

The medical professional then thanked the administration and the teachers and staff at Manatee Bay for their continued dedication to the educational institution. He also announced that as of that morning, only 82 students were absent, which is a drop compared to a week ago when roughly 220 were not in school.

The initial measles case was confirmed earlier this month in a third-grade student who had no travel history. It remained unclear which grades the other infected students were in as well as other identifying information regarding the patients' age, sex, and race or ethnicity.

The state currently has a total of 10 confirmed measles cases with nine confirmed in Broward County and the last one in Polk County. There have been at least 35 measles cases reported this year across 15 states based on information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Confirmed Cases Among Children

Now, health officials from across the United States are calling for parents and state officials to take additional steps to protect students. In a letter last week, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said that the health department is "deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance" during the measles outbreak, according to CNN.

Out of the 10 student cases, seven were among children aged between five and 14 years and two others were younger than four. Measles is said to be a highly contagious disease that can cause complications and even be fatal in some cases.

Symptoms of the disease could include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a rash of red spots. In rare instances, it could even lead to pneumonia, encephalitis, or death. Measles can also weaken a patient's immune system and "delete" its immune memory.

Ladap said that when measles is detected in a school, the typical recommendation is that individuals without a history of prior infection or vaccination stay home for up to three weeks. He noted that this is the period of time that the virus can be transmitted to other potential hosts, said People.