|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A San Mateo County resident contracted measles in February after traveling, marking the first case of the highly contagious virus to appear in the county in recent years, a San Mateo County Health spokesperson confirmed.
It’s unclear where the resident was traveling from or the specific manner in which the virus was transmitted. San Mateo County Communications Officer Preston Merchant declined to share more information about the case, citing privacy laws.
As of March 25, eight measles cases have been confirmed in six California counties: Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Placer, Tuolumne and San Mateo.
While the health department knew of the case in February, it did not notify the public because “our investigators were able to reach everyone considered a potential exposure, and there was no further public risk,” Merchant said.
The California Conference of Local Health Officers recommends that jurisdictions release information about cases of novel illnesses to the public. Guidelines say health officials can release some information about cases, including age, date of symptoms and severity.
When asked to share such details, Merchant declined.
On March 16, San Mateo County joined other Bay Area counties in recommending people get vaccinated for measles due to an ongoing outbreak in Texas. The press release did not mention the case in San Mateo County.
Nationally, as of March 20, the CDC has reported 378 confirmed cases, three outbreaks, 64 hospitalizations, and one confirmed death with another under investigation.
Joan Lane, trailblazing volunteer and Stanford’s go-to for ‘sticky problems,' dies at 97March 25, 2026 3:23 pm