2/4/15, 12:38 AMArizona tries to contain measles outbreak before Super Bowl | Pittsburgh Post-GazettePage 1 of 4http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2015/01/30/Arizona-tries-to-contain-measles-outbreak-before-Super-Bowl-NFL-Disneyland/stories/201501300176SUBSCRIBE LOG IN REGISTERObituaries Events Jobs Real Estate Cars Classified PG StoreADVERTISEMENTFebruary 4, 2015 2:38 AM 26°7-day ForecastShare with others:Related Media:Some doctors won't see patientswith anti-vaccine viewsArizona tries to contain measles outbreakbefore Super BowlJanuary 30, 2015 8:06 AMBy Anna Edney / Bloomberg NewsHealth officials in three Arizona counties said hundreds of people may have been exposed to thehighly contagious measles virus, three days before thousands of sports fans pour into the state forthe Super Bowl.The National Football League championship game will be held in Maricopa County at Universityof Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on Feb. 1. Officials there, and in Pinal and Gila counties, arelooking for people who have been to hospitals, grocery stores and a post office where infectedresidents visited.“Measles is wildly infectious, which is why it is so important that we identify cases quickly and doour best to stop the spread early on,” Bob England, director of the Maricopa County Departmentof Public Health, said in a statement. “That means keeping unvaccinated people who have beenexposed to the disease away from others.”The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans on Thursday to getADVERTISEMENTLATEST IN HEALTHCyanide has a long history in manufacturing and inmurderabout 2 hours agoFederal health officials grilled on vaccinationsabout 2 hours agoTips from the experts on training for your firstPittsburgh half-marathon1 day agoDespite objections, vaccinations urgedabout 12 hours agoRunning long distance? Don't expect to lose weight1 day agoWhat you need to know about nutrition and thePittsburgh marathon1 day agoFour Quick QuestionsIs Serena Williams the best female tennisplayer of all time?YesNoI'm not sureSubmitHome News Local Sports Opinion A & E Life Business Video Photo97LikeLikeShareShareTweetTweet3001ShareShareAssociated PressNFL Super Bowl XLIX football game between the New England Patriots andthe Seattle Seahawks takes place Sunday at the University of PhoenixStadium in Glendale, Ariz. Post-Gazette.com Business Directory2/4/15, 12:38 AMArizona tries to contain measles outbreak before Super Bowl | Pittsburgh Post-GazettePage 2 of 4http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2015/01/30/Arizona-tries-to-contain-measles-outbreak-before-Super-Bowl-NFL-Disneyland/stories/201501300176The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans on Thursday to getvaccinated for measles amid the outbreaks, saying that 2014 saw the highest number of cases intwo decades.Arizona has reported seven cases so far in its first outbreak since 2008, two in Maricopa Countyand five in Pinal County, one of which was found in Gila County. Measles is one of the mostcontagious diseases known to man, with each original patient able to infect many others if theyaren’t vaccinated. The spread of the California outbreak has been made worse, in part, by agrowing failure to vaccinate, health officials have said.Maricopa health workers are trying to track down 195 people, mostly children, Jeanene Fowler, aspokeswoman for the county health department said in an e-mail Thursday.Lingering virusThe virus can linger in the air or on surfaces for hours, and health officials are contacting thoseexposed. Maricopa’s county health department said people who have been exposed and aren’tfully vaccinated should stay at home for 21 days. If they need to go out in public they should weara mask, the department said in a Jan. 27 statement.This isn’t the measles’ first Super Bowl. In 2012 in Indiana, a boy with measles went to the “SuperBowl village,” a pre-game convention, a few days before the event.“Our concern was it would be transmitted to the crowd at the Super Bowl,” said Gregory Larkin,the former Indiana state health commissioner.The only others infected were family members or friends of the boy.The NFL is confident most players have been vaccinated and are at low risk, said Clare Graff, aleague spokeswoman, and medical staffs have been told to be vigilant.Disease surveillanceThe league prepares for diseases like the flu each year, including posting hand sanitizerdispensers throughout the stadium and at other event venues, Ricardo Martinez, the seniormedical adviser to the Super Bowl, said in an email.The University of Arizona will have a group of students from the epidemiology program at theMel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health helping first responders at the Super Bowlwatch for any potential measles cases.“We know measles, we know that it can get out of hand,” Kristen Pogreba-Brown, an assistantprofessor of epidemiology at the college, said in an interview.Pogreba-Brown leads an epidemiology course that will post a student at each of the stadium’s sixfirst aid stations. The students will question people that visit the stations to check for rash, feverand travel history. They’ll also check for signs of other diseases, such as gastrointestinalsymptoms that could signal norovirus, the U.S.’s leading cause of infection from contaminatedfood.Disney outbreakThe Arizona measles cases are among 84 identified this year in 14 states, 67 of which are linked toADVERTISEMENTQuestion 1 of 4Powered byCivicScienceADVERTISEMENTSafari Power SaverClick to Start Flash Plug-in2/4/15, 12:38 AMArizona tries to contain measles outbreak before Super Bowl | Pittsburgh Post-GazettePage 3 of 4http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2015/01/30/Arizona-tries-to-contain-measles-outbreak-before-Super-Bowl-NFL-Disneyland/stories/201501300176The Arizona measles cases are among 84 identified this year in 14 states, 67 of which are linked toAnaheim’s Disneyland amusement park, the CDC said.Arizona allows vaccination exemptions for children entering public schools for religious reasonsas well as what’s known as a philosophical exemption, where parents can choose not to vaccinateand still send their children to school.Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but Anne Schuchat, director of theCDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said this recent outbreak is a“wake-up call” to improve vaccination rates.“These outbreaks the past