Measles Cases at Little League World Series

Most Teams from the Event Have Headed Back to Their Hometowns at This Point Increasing Chance of Spreading

The Little League World Series is an event where teams from throughout the country and international teams of little league age children converge on Williamsport, PA. Unfortunately this year two cases of measles have been confirmed at the event. Both of these cases involve children from Japan. The first case was a 12-year-old player on the Japanese little league team. The second case was announced on August 24th and involves a 12-year-old boy who attended the event to watch his country's team. The Pennsylvania Department Of Health has issued a press release announcing these cases.

The PA Department of Health is asking anyone who attended the Little League Wrold Series activities between August 16 and 20 to contact their local health department if they are not immune to measles in their press release. Measles are a very contagious disease which can be transmitted by objects contaminated by bodily fluids up to two hours after they land on that object according to the press release.

The symptons if you have been exposed to measles follow a chain of events according to the PA Department's press release. After about 10 days you will begin showing symptons. These include runny nose, watery eyes, a cough, and a high fever. Two to three days after that you will notice small white spots around your mouth. Then two days after that a raised red rash will start on the face, a couple days later spread to the body and arms and legs. This rash will last about four to seven days. Measles are contagious five days before and after the rash begins. Fluids and secretions from the body are what spread the disease.

The groups that are most at risk according to the PA Department of Health's press release are infants who have not been immunized against measles yet, individuals who received globulin around the time they were vaccinated, and people who were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967 with inactivated vaccine and have not received the live vaccine. Finally, anyone who refused the vaccine or are from a part of the world with low vaccine coverage are at risk as well.