Measles Exposure on Campus

Today, March 28, Butte County Public Health has confirmed a case of measles in an individual we know to be a Chico State student—it is one of four cases currently known in Butte County. The student is receiving appropriate medical care away from campus. Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. 

Anyone who has visited the following campus locations at these times may have been exposed to the virus:

• Ayers Hall, Room 120 on March 25 from 8 to 10:30 a.m.
• University Village from afternoon of March 24 through the morning of March 26
• UV shuttle on March 25 from 8:45 to 11 a.m.

Additionally, Butte County Public Health has identified a list of all exposure locations for all known measles cases in Butte County, which includes places in downtown Chico.

If you experience measles symptoms, first isolate yourself where you reside. Then, please contact the Student Health Center at 530-898-5241, Butte County Public Health at 530-552-3929, or visit any hospital emergency room. **Please do not walk in to the Student Health Center.**

Symptoms include:

• Fever that starts mild and spikes to 104–105F
• Rash that starts at the hairline and descends behind the ears and down the body to the feet
• Persistent cough
• Inflamed eyes    

If you have been in the locations at the times noted or know you may have been exposed to someone with measles, call Butte County Public Health at 530-552-3929. Additionally, you can call your healthcare provider and let them know that you may have been exposed to someone who has measles.

You should avoid settings where there are susceptible people (such as schools, hospitals, or childcare facilities) until your doctor says it is OK to return. This will help ensure that you do not spread measles to others. Additional information and FAQs are available on the Butte County Public Health website: www.buttecounty.net/ph/measles

Measles can live up to 2 hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed. The virus also lives for 2 hours on surfaces that are contaminated. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected. Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the measles rash appears.

Measles usually can be prevented with the recommended two-dose vaccination. All California State University students are required to show proof of measles vaccination as part of enrollment requirements per EO-803.

The Student Health Center has MMR vaccines available for students, staff, and faculty for $70 or you may be vaccinated by Butte County Health Department, local pharmacies, or your medical provider. These vaccines are typically covered by health insurance.

Please check the Butte County Public Health website for answers to additional questions about measles. The University will continue to provide updates as it relates to campus as necessary.