Measles exposures possible at Lansing, Oakland County restaurants

A possible measles case is under investigation in Eaton County, Michigan, prompting health officials to warn the public of potential exposure.
Potential exposure locations include King Ocean Crab in Lansing on April 12 and Bad Brads BBQ in Orion Township on April 13.
This possible case follows a recent surge of measles infections in Michigan and across the U.S.

CHARLOTTE – Health officials are warning the public about possible exposure to measles as it investigates symptoms in an Eaton County resident.

The Barry-Eaton District Health Department said test results for the resident are pending, and the department believes people may have been exposed at restaurants in the city of Lansing and Oakland County.

“We are acting out of an abundance of caution to notify the public as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Julie Kehdi, medical director for the Barry-Eaton District Health Department. “Measles spreads easily and can have serious health consequences, especially for children and people with weakened immune systems. We encourage anyone who may have been exposed to take action right away and check their vaccination status.”

The department released no information about the individual.

Kehdi said in a statement that potential exposure sites include:

King Ocean Crab restaurant on Miller St. in south Lansing, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on April 12, and;
Bad Brads BBQ on S. Baldwin Road in Orion Township from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 13.

The suspected case is the latest in Michigan, which has seen a surge of cases as measles infections have been reported across the country.

Michigan’s first measles outbreak was confirmed in Montcalm County by the Mid-Michigan District Health Department on April 17, with the department saying two additional cases were identified that were tied to an infection initially reported April 9 in a Montcalm County resident who traveled out of state. That outbreak is tied to a large, ongoing outbreak in Ontario, Canada, the Mid-Michigan Health Department said.

There have been 800 cases of measles reported in 25 states across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the first case in Michigan reported in early March in Oakland County. Since then, cases have also been reported in Kent, Macomb, Montcalm, Wayne and Ingham counties. The state on April 19 said there were eight cases in Michigan.

The Ingham County case involved a 1-year-old girl who had received her first dose of the vaccine one day before boarding a plane for a trip out of state, Nike Shoyinka, Ingham County’s medical health officer, said during a Zoom call with reporters on April 15.

The Ingham County Health Department notified the public of seven possible exposure sites the girl visited before her symptoms were diagnosed. The girl had “very mild” symptoms, probably because she had had a dose of the MMR vaccine one day before she traveled, Shoyinka said. But she wouldn’t have acquired the antibodies for full protection until after about two weeks, the health official said.

The girl’s mother told the State Journal her daughter is recovering.

Measles is highly contagious and spread by direct person-to-person contact and through the air. Infected people can spread measles before noticing symptoms, including from four days before through four days after the rash appears.

Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, or rash, and anyone experiencing those symptoms is urged to call their local health department, or if the symptoms are severe, go to the nearest emergency room but call ahead.

Anyone suspecting a measles infection who is seeking care at an urgent care or doctor’s office should also call ahead, officials said.

Barry-Eaton health officials said treatment within six days of exposure can lessen the illness, and noted that anyone exposed April 13 should receive treatment by April 19.

For more information about measles, including a link to download your immunization record, visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services measles information page at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/childrenfamilies/immunizations/measlesupdates.

Detroit Free Press reporter Kristen Jordan Shamus contributed.