Dear Milwaukee Clinicians,
From 5/1 through 8/27/2024 there have been at least 30 cases of measles in Minnesota. Most cases have been in unvaccinated Somali American children in and around Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Twin Cities. About 1 in 3 have been sick enough to be hospitalized.
Two large gatherings will occur soon in the Twin Cities:
Please advise people attending these meetings to update their measles vaccination prior to attending if possible.
Please suspect measles in unvaccinated patients who return from the Twin Cities with high fever and rash, especially if they have cough, coryza (head congestion and other upper respiratory symptoms), and/or conjunctivitis.
If you suspect measles, call the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) communicable disease staff at 414-286-6800. They will help you decide if your patient meets public health criteria for a suspect case. They will advise you how to order the correct tests. They will follow up on test results.
Send nasopharyngeal swab in viral transport medium (like Covid testing) for PCR. Order blood testing for IgM and IgG titer. Send these to the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene (WSLH) or the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) Lab.
Do not order the standard measles titer. This is IgG only and is to document immunity. The IgM and PCR are needed to detect a recent infection.
Do not send specimens to an out of state clinical reference lab. The results will be delayed several days and will not be reported to public health.
Sincerely,
Paul Hunter MD
Professor
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH)
University of Wisconsin (UW) - School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH)
Medical Consultant for Communicable Diseases
City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD)
