/ Modified jun 1, 2016 5:17 a.m.

Pinal County Measles Cases Have Health Officials Watching

11 cases reported in recent weeks linked to Eloy immigrant center.

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Eleven cases of measles have been linked to an outbreak at a private immigration detention center in Eloy, and health officials are on the watch for more.

Ten of the cases have been reported in Pinal County, and one case was reported in Maricopa County. There have been no cases of measles in Pima County so far in 2016.

measles
Pima County Health Department

Cases of the disease are rare, according to health officials.

“With the advent of the measles vaccine, the number of measles cases in the United States and Arizona has decreased dramatically. However, there are still occasional cases,” said Michael Acoba, program manager for the Pima County Health Department's Epidemiology Program.

The measles virus is airborne, and 90 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed catch the disease.

Acoba said measles is easily prevented through the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, which does not cause autism, contrary to what some think.

“The current scientific community has proven that research was bogus, it was false, and so all of [the] claims trying to link autism with MMR is not the case,” Acoba said

Symptoms can take between one and three weeks to appear. They include coughing, runny nose, red eyes, and most notably, a red, blotchy rash that starts at the hairline.

Health officials warn that those who suspect they are infected should call a medical facility to arrange a visit. That way, if they are infected, the risk of spreading the disease is minimized.

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