La Porte student with suspected measles case

LA PORTE, Texas (FOX 26) — La Porte Independent School District released the following statement on Tuesday:

A prekindergarten student at La Porte Elementary School has a suspected case of measles, also known as rubeola. Please be assured that we are working closely with Harris County Public Health and will take all steps necessary to ensure the well-being of our students.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person and can be spread to others through coughing and sneezing. As a precautionary measure, we are disinfecting all classrooms and common areas at the campus.

The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected. Measles typically begins with high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Two to three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. The rash usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. After a few days, the fever subsides and the rash fades.

More information about measles is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site at https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/index.html. If you have other questions or concerns, please
contact your health care provider.