Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department warns of potential measles exposure
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The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department (WOCHD) says it has been informed that an individual who was at the WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital Emergency Department on Saturday, Oct. 17 has tested positive for measles. The individual is not from Ohio County or West Virginia.
For privacy reasons, the department cannot provide additional details about the individual.
Wheeling Hospital and/or the County Health Department will be calling patients/staff who have been identified as exposed on this day with further instructions.
Howard Gamble, the WOCHD Administrator, said this is the first reported measles exposure in the Wheeling area in a long time. The state only had one confirmed case in Barbour County this year and one case in 2025.
Gamble said vaccination is the number one most effective and proven way to stop the spread of measles. He credits West Virginia’s high vaccination rate with keeping the spread mostly contained despite neighboring states’ outbreaks, but cautioned it isn’t foolproof.
“Although we are surrounded by states with continuous cases being reported, we have a very well vaccinated population because of our rule for school entry,” Gamble said. “But it’s not a guarantee -- at any time, we could be exposed.”
Individuals who are not vaccinated are most at-risk for infection. The WOCHD advises any individual in the exposure area who has not had two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine to call their healthcare provider for next steps. It is very important for individuals who think they may have been exposed to not directly go to a healthcare facility without calling ahead. For anyone that is unsure, the WOCHD recommends they check their vaccination status. Individuals who have received only one dose of the vaccine instead of the recommended two doses may still be susceptible to the virus.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that infects the lungs and spreads when an infected person breaths, coughs or sneezes. The virus remains in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours, even after the infected person leaves the area.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash starting on the head or face which spreads downward. Symptoms can start 7 to 21 days after exposure. An individual with measles can spread the virus to others four days before and four days after the rash begins.
Gamble warned those who simply stay indoors to try to avoid the disease are running an enormous risk for the health of themselves and others.
“At some point, we all have to go to work, we all have to go to school and so, we can’t rely on that,” Gamble said. “When you run that risk, you run the risk of larger health concerns, larger health problems, even death. So to not deal with that, we do vaccinations. And it works.”
People who believe they were exposed to measles and are experiencing symptoms should contact their health care provider. Residents of Ohio County who are concerned about a potential exposure can contact the WOCHD at (304) 234-3682.
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is given to toddlers when they are 12 to 15 months of age, and a second MMR vaccine is required for all Pennsylvania school children.