La Porte Elementary investigating suspected case of measles

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) —

A suspected case of measles is under investigation at La Porte Elementary School, according to a letter sent to parents Tuesday.

According to La Porte ISD, it is working with Harris County Public Health to “take all steps necessary to ensure the well-being of our students” and “as a precautionary measure, we are disinfecting all classrooms and common areas at the campus.”

District director of communications, Terri Cook, said students are expected to attend school as usual on Wednesday, which is a scheduled early release day.

The student with the suspected case is in prekindergarten. No other information was released due to privacy laws.

“Commonly it’s spread by going to another country and coming into contact with un-vaccinated people or people travelling here from countries where vaccination is not as prevalent,” said Davita Hall, a mother and nurse practitioner at AFC Urgent Care in La Porte. “We just advise people to vaccinate your kids against measles.”

Earlier this month, health officials in Harris, Montgomery and Galveston counties each reported at least one confirmed case of the illness.

According to Montgomery County officials, a 2-year-old girl is recovering from the disease. They also said this case is connected to one of the Harris County cases, but details of the connection were not immediately disclosed.

Galveston County Health District also confirmed a case involving a boy whose age ranges from 12 to 24 months old. The child was tested on Jan. 28, and officials said the case is part of a cluster in the region.

Earlier Monday, Harris County Public Health said two boys under the age of two and a 25 to 35-year-old woman were diagnosed with the measles. All three patients live in northwest Harris County.

Measles is a highly contagious virus spread through direct contact or through the air.

Symptoms include a high fever, coughing, runny nose and watery, red eyes between seven and 14 days after infection, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says.
However, measles is preventable.

Health officials are encouraging everyone to protect themselves from the virus by being vaccinated.

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SEE MORE: What is measles? What to know about measles symptoms, vaccine and treatment