Measles detected in West Hawaii wastewater, health officials say

The Hawaii Department of Health says a wastewater sample collected this month tested positive for the measles virus.

Health officials said in a news release today that the sample was collected Aug. 11 from a site in West Hawaii County and is the first wastewater detection of measles in the state. DOH was notified of the result on Aug. 26, and is monitoring for signs of an outbreak.

As of today, however, there have been no new reports of measles.

Health officials said the presence of measles virus in wastewater does not confirm a clinical case or community spread, but is a signal to be alert and prepared for possible measles cases.

“The recent detection of measles virus in our wastewater is a reminder that this disease is still a threat,” said Gov. Josh Green in the news release. “Vaccination remains our strongest defense to stop measles before it spreads in Hawaii. Let’s work together to protect each other and keep our islands safe and healthy.”

The state routinely collects and tests wastewater samples as part of disease surveillance, which became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help track the presence of numerous pathogens, including COVID, avian influenza, and norovirus.

Wastewater monitoring serves as an early-warning system for emerging outbreaks, as infected people begin shedding a virus in their waste in two to three days, regardless of whether they exhibit symptoms or not.

Over the summer, national wastewater surveillance companies began testing for measles as an outbreak in Texas spread to other states.

WastewaterSCAN began testing for measles in May, while NWSS-Verily did so in July, followed by Biobot Analytics in August.

Hawaii has so far this year has only confirmed two measles cases. Both were confirmed in April before measles wastewater testing began.

In early April, DOH confirmed measles in an unvaccinated child under the age of 5 on Oahu. The child began developing symptoms after returning from international travel. About 10 days later, DOH confirmed a second measles case in an adult member of the same household as the child.

No further measles cases were reported after the two in April, and state health officials said they are not related to this recent wastewater detection.

The department, meanwhile, is urging everyone to stay up to date on the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

”Measles is highly contagious but preventable through vaccination,” health officials in the release. “Infants under 1 year of age are at particularly high risk because they are too young to be vaccinated, but in certain situations, vaccination may be recommended for children between 6 and 12 months if they are exposed to a known case.”

To get an MMR vaccine, families should contact their medical provider or pharmacy. Additionally, anyone who has traveled to an area with a current measles outbreak should consult a doctor upon developing symptoms, which include a fever, runny nose, and cough, followed by the spread of tiny, red spots.

The number of measles cases in the U.S has ramped up significantly this year.

As of Tuesday, more than 1,400 measles cases have been confirmed in over 40 U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the highest number since measles was declared eliminated 25 years ago.