A dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination awaits the next patient during a vaccine clinic at Southwestern Public Health in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, on March 4. Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press via AP
A dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination awaits the next patient during a vaccine clinic at Southwestern Public Health in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, on March 4. Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press via APdur-i-syn

New Mexico health officials Tuesday confirmed Santa Fe’s first case of measles: an unvaccinated child who contracted the virus during travel. The latest case brings the state’s total number of cases to 96, since the outbreak began in mid-February.

Health officials also warned that people may have been exposed at an Albuquerque Amusement park last week during the following times and date:

11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 17 at Cliff’s Amusement Park at 4800 Osuna Road NW.

Santa Fe makes the ninth county with identified measles cases, joining Chaves, Curry, Doña Ana, Eddy, Lea, Luna, San Juan and Sandoval counties.

New Mexico Department of Health officials urged any people recently at the location to check their vaccination statuses and report any symptoms that develop in the next three weeks to health care providers.

“Every new case, including those that are a result of travel elsewhere, is a reminder that measles is a highly contagious virus,” NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said in a statement. “Thankfully New Mexicans are responding to the call to get a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the best defense against measles.”

Health care providers say the vaccine is the only effective prevention against the spread of the highly contagious respiratory virus. Measles symptoms can develop between one to three weeks from exposure and include fever, cough, red eyes and a spotted red rash usually spreading across the face and across the body.

People can spread measles in the days before and after symptoms appear. Severe complications from measles, including pneumonia, occur in about one in five cases.

Source NM is an independent, nonprofit news organization that shines a light on governments, policies and public officials.