With the state Department of Public Health having reported an adult case of measles in Worcester County earlier this month following international travel, public health officials are advising there are measures people can take to reduce their likelihood of contracting the highly contagious disease.

Meg Ryan, a public health nurse for the Cooperative Public Health Service at the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, said vaccination is the best way to protect oneself against measles, which she said is nine times more infectious than Ebola.

“It’s almost entirely preventable by vaccine,” she explained. “The [measles] vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines.”

The Worcester County case, involving someone who recently traveled internationally, is the first confirmed measles case in a Massachusetts resident since early 2020. Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased worldwide, including here in the United States and in neighboring states in New England,” Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robert Goldstein said in a statement. “Cases of measles have been reported in 30 states since the beginning of last year, mostly in people and communities who are unvaccinated. Vaccination is the best way to protect against measles.”

According to the CDC, 167 measles cases had been reported across the United States this year as of July 11. The majority of these individuals were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status (84%). Nearly half of all reported cases were under 5 years of age. Among reported cases, 53% were hospitalized.

Ryan said childhood vaccination rates have been decreasing in general for various reasons.

“It’s complicated,” she said. “I think there is a lot of misinformation out there, wrong information out there. And it gets a lot of press.”

She said the anti-vaccination movement gained momentum in 1998 when a top British medical journal published a physician’s false claim that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was linked to autism. That physician, Ryan said, is now barred from practicing medicine.

Ryan said the MMR vaccination rate among Franklin County kindergartners was between 97.3% and 99% in the 1990s. The figure is now 92.5%. According to Ryan, this is concerning because herd immunity, a form of indirect protection that occurs when a large-enough percentage of a population is immune to a contagious disease, kicks in for measles at about 95%.

Ryan said measles symptoms can initially appear like those of a cold or flu — cough, high fever, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. After a few days, a red, blotchy rash starts, usually first on the face and then on the rest of the body. Ryan said first symptoms most often appear seven to 14 days after exposure.

Ryan said anyone exposed to measles should immediately contact their medical provider to determine if a vaccine is needed. Getting the vaccine within three days of being exposed can help protect against measles, she said.

“The thing about measles is that it’s so incredibly contagious,” she said, adding that one in five infected people are hospitalized. “It’s also more dangerous than a lot of other viruses.”

Ryan said measles has been known to cause deafness in children. It can also result in immune amnesia, making it more difficult for the body to fight off infections.

According to the state Department of Public Health, there are large measles outbreaks in Europe and elsewhere internationally. Many of the cases reported in the United States are associated with recent travel.

The Department of Public Health urges anyone who does not know their measles immunization status to contact their health care provider to get vaccinated with at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. Health care providers who suspect measles should immediately call the DPH at 617-983-6800 for recommendations and testing guidance.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com.