The Flathead City-County Health Department hasn’t identified any measles cases in the county following an exposure alert that originated in the West Glacier area at the beginning of September.  

Taylor Hunt with the Flathead City-County Health Department said testing results for a suspected case of measles came back negative, so no new exposure sites have been added. No Flathead County residents have tested positive for the highly contagious disease, she said.  

Officials sent out an exposure alert on Sept. 20 after an infected individual was in Flathead County on Sept. 8-11, according to the county Health Department. 

The person visited three public sites, including the Glacier Highland Gift Store and Restaurant in West Glacier, Logan Health Primary Care in Columbia Falls and Amtrak train No. 8 traveling east from West Glacier on Sept. 11. 

Measles is considered very contagious, with tiny droplets containing the virus remaining in the air for up to two hours after an infected person sneezes or coughs, according to county health officials. 

Symptoms start with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, along with small white spots inside the cheeks. Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their healthcare provider immediately for instructions on how to receive care without exposing others. 

People immune through vaccination, lab-confirmed immunity or prior infection, or those born before 1957, are generally not considered at risk for infection. Unvaccinated people have about a 90% chance of infection if exposed, according to the county Health Department.  

There have been 3,471 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including five cases in Montana. 

People who need the MMR vaccine should contact their healthcare provider or schedule an appointment with the health department online or by calling 406-751-8110. 

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.