REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The Delaware Division of Public Health is urging people to watch for measles symptoms after someone from out of state with the disease traveled through the Rehoboth Beach area earlier this month.
DPH said the person visited an unknown amount of stores and restaurants Sept. 4. The agency said it could not determine every location the person visited, and because of this, issued a communitywide notification rather than identifying specific exposure sites.
The person had not yet developed symptoms but was believed to have been contagious while in the area, said DPH. The agency said it received notification of this after the period when post-exposure treatment would have been effective.
People who were in the greater Rehoboth area Sept. 4 should watch for early symptoms of measles, including fever, cough, runny nose and pink eye. Those symptoms can last two to four days before a rash appears, according to DPH. The rash typically develops three to five days after other symptoms begin, usually starting on the face before spreading down the body.
Anyone who develops symptoms and may have been exposed should isolate and contact a health care provider to report the symptoms and possible measles exposure. People with severe symptoms should seek immediate medical care and alert emergency medical personnel and health care providers about the possible exposure.
As of this reporting, the state has confirmed 23 cases of measles, all of which in Kent County. The current total includes 8 children up to 9-years-old, two people between the ages of 10-19 and 13 people 20-years-old or older.
