Cook County warns of measles exposure at Sam's Club in southwest Chicago suburb
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Cook County Department of Public Health on Thursday warned that people who visited the Sam's Club in Evergreen Park on one specific day earlier this month may have been exposed to measles.
The department said anyone who visited the Sam's Club at 9400 S. Western Ave. in Evergreen Park on Tuesday, April 9, between 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. may have been exposed to someone who had measles and was contagious.
The person in question is a Chicago resident, and the Cook County and Chicago departments of public health are both investigating. This person is not believed to be connected to the outbreak of measles at a migrant shelter in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.
The county department noted that anyone who has been vaccinated or has had measles before has a low risk of developing the disease. Most children are eligible for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine at the age of 12 months, while people born before 1957 were likely infected naturally.
But those who are unvaccinated are at increased risk, and are advised to contact their health care provider to receive a measles vaccination.
Symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. If infected, individuals could develop symptoms up to 21 days following exposure and become contagious to others starting four days before the rash appears through four days afterwards.
The first case of measles in the Cook County suburbs this year was reported in late March. That person was exposed while at the Pilsen migrant shelter, and has since recovered.
As of Thursday, the Chicago Department of Public Health has confirmed 63 cases of measles in the city, most of them linked to the outbreak at the Pilsen migrant shelter.
Last week, city officials said measles cases were declining after public health officials administered about 14,000 doses of the vaccine since early March.
