Two new measles cases reported in Utah

Neither of the two people infected were vaccinated, according to the state’s health department. Nor were they connected to a case reported last Friday.

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Two new measles cases have been found in patients from different areas of the state, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

One of the people is in Utah County, the department said in a statement Tuesday, while the other is in the southwest portion of the state. Both were unvaccinated, the department said.

According to the department, the new infections are not related to Utah’s first measles case, reported last Friday. In that case, an unvaccinated Utah County resident was reported infected.

The person whose case was reported Friday spent hours in Orem’s Timpanogos Regional ER on Saturday, June 14, the department reported — and an unknown amount of time the day before at the Parkway Health Center in Orem.

Public health investigators are working to identify where the two new infected people might have exposed others, the department said.

In early June, DHHS reported that an infected out-of-state person traveled through Utah’s Washington County, visiting family in the region.

Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure. They include a high fever — above 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit — and a cough, runny nose, or red eyes. A rash will usually appear within four days of a fever.

If you develop symptoms, stay away from other people and call your health care provider, health officials say. Call before going to a clinic or hospital, so staff there can prevent other people from exposure.

According to DHHS, more than 90% of Utahns have been vaccinated against measles, and are well protected against infection.

As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 1,214 confirmed measles cases in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

This is a developing story.