State health officials report measles virus found in Ada County wastewater
State health officials say measles has been detected in the wastewater collected in Ada County.
In a message sent to the Boise School District community, Central District Health alerted residents that officials had an isolated detection of measles virus RNA in wastewater collected in Ada County on April 22.
The message from the agency, based in Boise, says there are no suspected or confirmed measles cases among Ada County residents at this time.
Boise schools are operating as normal, the message stated. The district says it is communicating with CDH, monitoring for any updates or confirmed cases, and will communicate with the community if there are any changes.
According to CDH, wastewater monitoring is used as an early warning tool that can sometimes detect the presence of viruses before clinical cases are identified.
The message says that public health officials are monitoring the situation.
Measles is a highly contagious illness with symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes. It is typically followed by a rash that starts on the face and spreads downward, the agency says.
The agency advises parents to contact a healthcare provider if their child or someone in their family develops these symptoms.
CDH also recommends ensuring students are up-to-date on their measles, mumps, rubella vaccination.
