BOISE, Idaho — The Central Health District (CDH) and Ada County recently identified measles virus RNA in wastewater collected at a treatment plant that serves Boise.
The collection was taken on April 22. A possible measles exposure was reported at the Boise Airport on March 29.
CDH indicates that no measles cases have been confirmed in Ada County. However, wastewater detection typically demonstrates that one or more individuals have been infected by the virus.
As a result, the CDH is recommending healthcare providers stay vigilant regarding potential measles cases among their patients. The typical symptoms associated with the measles are fever, rash, cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis.
Furthermore, unvaccinated individuals are at heightened risk of contracting the virus.
For patients suspected of having the Measles virus, CHD requests that healthcare professionals "collect and ship specimens correctly for measles testing."
They also recommend counseling patients on the importance of the MMR vaccination for those who are not up to date.
What is the Measles virus? [National Institute of Health]
Measles virus (MV) belongs to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. It is an enveloped, nonsegmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus, and its genome encodes at least six structural proteins [1].
MV (also known as rubeola virus) causes measles, an acute, highly contagious infection usually seen in children. Recovery from measles is the rule, but severe complications may develop in some cases [2].
Severe forms with non-pathognomonic clinical features may occur, especially in individuals with compromised or deficient cellular immunity, such as those being treated for malignant disease, transplanted, individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any form of congenital immunodeficiency [3].
