Lab tests reveal a Sacramento man being treated at an urgent care center in Placer County does not have measles.
On Wednesday, Sacramento County health officials reported that tests also came back negative in a second suspected measles case involving a child in Elk Grove.
These cases follow 79 measles cases confirmed in California this year, 52 of which were linked to exposure at Disney parks in Anaheim.
“We have been fortunate so far that none of the results have been positive,” said Dr. Robert Oldham, Placer County’s public health officer. “But it is quite possible that we will see a positive case in the not too distant future and we have to prepare for that possibility.”
Sacramento and Placer counties announced the latest test results jointly Friday, saying they are on high alert for suspected measles cases and need the public’s help in stopping the spread of the disease.
"This is a highly contagious disease that knows no political boundaries,” said Oldham. “We live in an area where people live in Placer County but work in Sacramento County, or live in Sacramento but shop and dine or work in Placer County. So, this is a regional issue that we are working together closely on to educate the public about the risks and the best prevention, which is vaccination."
-Capital Public Radio Staff
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