Student Contracts Rare Infection

Health officials determined that a Laguna Beach High School student contracted measles and potentially exposed classmates and staff to the infectious virus, the second occurrence in the county this year of the now rarely reported illness.

Communicable disease experts imposed a quarantine on a small number of unvaccinated students at the high school that could have had contact with the measles-infected student on Wednesday, March 29, barring then from attending school and instructing them to stay home until April 18, said OC Health Care Agency spokeswoman Jessica Good.

School officials said seven students were initially excluded, though one produced proof of vaccination and was permitted to return, said district spokeswoman Leisa Winston.

The ill student, who also was unvaccinated, reported no recent travel outside Orange County or exposure to ill people, Good said.

The county agency has not identified the source of the infection. To contain transmission, public health investigators notified people at a small number of sites – schools, clinics and other establishments where the ill student went before the virus was verified – about potential exposure, she said.

The only other resident to contract measles in the county this year likely was infected while traveling abroad, Good said. Because the adult was vaccinated and self-quarantined, exposure risk is minimal, she said.

Countywide, no measles cases were reported to health officials last year, Good said. In 2015, there were 35 measles cases, many traced to an infected Disneyland parkgoer that resulted in an outbreak in seven states and two other countries.

Nine measles cases were confirmed by Los Angeles County’s Public Health Department last December.

Laguna school officials issued a district wide announcement Wednesday, April 5, alerting parents about the measles infection and its symptoms, which surface within eight to 21 days after exposure.

Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes, says a health agency statement. Measles spreads easily by air and by direct contact with an infected person. Measles is contagious even before a rash appears.

Measles is rare in the U.S. and other countries with a high vaccination rate, the statement says.

Under a new state vaccine law, Senate Bill 277, which went into effect in 2016, parents of students who attend public or private schools can no longer refuse to vaccinate their children based on a personal belief exemption. Children must be immunized against the following nine diseases: diphtheria, hepatitis B., measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis (polio), rubella, tetanus and varicella (chickenpox).

However, personal belief exemptions submitted before Jan. 1, 2016 remain valid until a student reaches seventh grade and some students with exemptions are currently enrolled within the district, Winston said.

The district announcement advised parents if their child develops an illness with fever (101°F or more), cough, runny nose or red eyes, with or without rash, to contact a health care provider and the Orange County Health Care Agency at 714-834-8180 immediately.