An unvaccinated Seneca County resident with recent travel to Pennsylvania has tested positive for measles, county health officials said Friday.
The resident was taken to Cayuga Medical Center on Thursday, where samples were collected and sent to the state Wadsworth Laboratory for testing. The resident has since been discharged to isolate and recover at home.
The Seneca County Health Department said it is working with the state Department of Health on a case investigation and contact tracing. Officials said the overall risk to the public remains low, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated.
Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days. Early symptoms can include a runny nose, cough, fever, red and watery eyes, sensitivity to light and small bluish-white spots inside the mouth, followed by a red, blotchy rash that generally begins on the face and spreads downward.
Health officials said a person can spread measles from four days before a rash appears through four days after it begins. Anyone showing symptoms should stay home and contact a doctor, and people who need emergency or urgent care should call ahead before arriving.
The department said two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are recommended for protection. Unvaccinated infants, children and adults, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk of infection.
Seneca County offers the MMR vaccine and other vaccinations to qualifying uninsured or underinsured county residents. Information is available by calling 315-539-1920 or visiting senecacountyhealthny.gov.
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