This morning (May 2), the Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed one case of measles in an infant who is said to have been contagious between April 23 and May 1.
The St. Clair County infant has not been out of the state or country and staff is working to gather more information on the case to release to the public.
While officials haven't released additional information, our news and weather partners at WBRC Fox 6 News have previously talked with doctors at UAB to discuss the measles vaccine:
“It is a very infectious and effective virus. Once it gets started in a vulnerable population it will spread quickly,” said Dr. William Curry, Senior VP for Population Health at UAB.
The below post is spreading across Facebook and is believed to be posted by the mother of the young infant.
The ADPH website shares the symptoms of measles:
- Symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after a person is infected
- Common early symptoms include:
- -- High fever, up to 105°F
- -- Cough
- -- Runny nose
- -- Red or watery eyes
- Two to three days after symptoms begin, you may have:
- -- Tiny white spots appear inside of the mouth.
- Three to five days after symptoms begin, you could also have:
- -- A rash of flat red spots appear on the face and spread to the neck, chest, arms, legs, and feet.
- -- Small raised bumps may appear on the flat red spots.
- Common complications may include ear infections, hearing loss, and diarrhea.
- Severe complications may include pneumonia, swelling of the brain, and death.
For more information about measles, visit the Alabama Department of Public Health's website.
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images