Traces of measles were found in AG真人百家乐 County wastewater, Austin Public Health officials confirmed Monday.
The virus was detected during wastewater surveillance during the first week of July, and APH was notified July 18.
Measles is a respiratory disease spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Droplets can linger in the air for up to two hours after the infected person leaves an area. It鈥檚 extremely contagious and dangerous 鈥� near someone with measles will become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What does it mean for traces to be found in the county鈥檚 wastewater?
Wastewater testing is a relatively new tool for Austin Public Health, and there are limitations to what it can and can鈥檛 decipher.
鈥淚t just lets us know that [measles is] present,鈥� Austin Public Health epidemiologist Heather Cooks-Sinclair said. 鈥淚t could be as little as someone coming in visiting that may have had measles.鈥�
Cooks-Sinclair said reporting from local health care providers is a better way to know how prevalent measles is in the community, and there have not been any new cases confirmed in recent weeks.
Still, the detection puts doctors on alert.
鈥淚f somebody came in that had symptoms that could be consistent with measles but could be consistent with another illness, they may not think, 鈥業 need to put that as part of my [diagnoses],' but if I say we鈥檝e seen measles in our wastewater, it alerts them at a higher level that they should be suspicious of that,鈥� Cooks-Sinclair said.
Is a measles outbreak likely in Austin?
鈥淲hile we haven鈥檛 experienced an outbreak here in our community, it can only be a matter of time if we leave ourselves unprotected,鈥� Austin Public Health Authority Desmar Walkes said in a statement.
There have been two confirmed measles cases in AG真人百家乐 County so far this year: an unvaccinated infant in February and a vaccinated adult in late April. The cases were Austin鈥檚 first since 2019. Both were related to travel outside the area. Measles cases were also reported in Williamson and Hays counties this year.
Cooks-Sinclair said declining vaccination rates may be to blame.
鈥淥ur numbers of people being fully vaccinated are dropping, and they have been dropping since COVID,鈥� Cooks-Sinclair said. 鈥淪o there is a concern that the more people who do not get vaccinated, we will lose some of our herd immunity.鈥�
Do I need a booster?
Unless you are one of the late-Boomers/early Gen X-ers born between 1963-1967, public health officials don鈥檛 recommend fully vaccinated individuals get a booster shot. Cooks-Sinclair said the vaccine provided at that time was less effective than what's currently offered.
Everyone who received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine after 1967 should be in the clear, Cooks-Sinclair said. The vaccine is 97% effective and prevents severe disease, according to the CDC.
If you don鈥檛 know if you're fully vaccinated, your old pediatrician, elementary school or high school may have your records. KUT previously compiled more tips from public health officials on what to do if you're not sure if you're vaccinated.
People who are uninsured or underinsured can get an MMR vaccine for free or at low cost through Austin Public Health. More information on how to get those vaccines is
