Measles is still lurking around. This time, the viral disease scares Silicon Valley's employees with a report of exposure after a sick man visited the Google headquarters recently.
In a statement released by Cassius Lockett, PhD, director of Public Health, Policy, and Planning of San Mateo County, 2019 has so far seen four confirmed cases of the disease, including the recent Silicon Valley case.
"San Mateo County Health does not believe that there is further risk of measles to the public from these cases," the news release states. However, as cautionary measure, the health department issues an advisory to health care providers about recognizing measles symptoms and reporting cases to public health authorities.
Google Buzz
A staff doctor at Google sent out an email last week to some employees about the possible exposure. In the email, the doctor said that a worker who has recently visited one of the Mountain View, California, buildings had been diagnosed with measles. The visit took place on April 4 in the 1295 Charleston Road office.
David Kaye, a physician that specializes in occupational health wrote that the note was sent as a precaution, and as compliance to the Public Health Department orders to share measles advisory, exposure risks, and interventions to do.
Department Of Health In Action
Communicable diseases team at San Mateo County Health continuously follows up on reported cases, and gets updates from their constituents in other jurisdictions to advise exposed individuals to consult local health care professionals.
In accordance to patient privacy laws, the health department is unable to share further details about the reported cases.
The department's main message to the public is to get kids and non-immunized adults vaccinated according to the guidelines of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Measles In California
Measles is a highly communicable disease, with cases scattered across continents.
In California, the last massive outbreak was the Disneyland-related report, recorded from December 2014 to April 2015, where about 131 residents were struck with the disease.
In 2019, two cases were associated with international travel. All in all, there have been 23 confirmed cases so far, 13 of which were outbreak-related.
The infectious disease starts from fever that lasts for days, followed by cough, runny nose, pinkish eyes, and a rash. Typically, the rash first appears on the face, along the hairline, and behind the ears, before it manifests in the whole body. Patients are highly contagious between four days before the onset of rash and four days afterward.
