The Arizona Department of Health Services is working to prevent a measles outbreak after a 1-year-old child in Pima County caught the viral infection, marking the first confirmed case in Arizona for 2019.
The child was exposed after going to Asia and then flying back to Arizona, according to health officials. Health officials say they don't believe the infectious period occurred during the flight.
Health officials say the measles is highly contagious and more than half of the people infected with it go to the emergency room.
"That's how sick they become," Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said.
Christ said the department will worked to identify where potential exposures may be and reach out to people who may have been exposed.
The health department's concerns are high because of Arizona's low vaccination rates.
"For those who aren't fully immunized or unimmunized, nine out of 10 people will come down with measles," Christ said.
Health officials want Arizonans to be aware of the symptoms, which start with a high fever. Christ said the symptoms make seem flu-like before a "very characteristic rash," which starts from your hairline and then moves down your body, develops days later.
Christ said the investigation is ongoing and the department is working with the 1-year-old's family.