ap photo Signs posted at The Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Wash., warn patients and visitors of a measles outbreak in 2019.

Being prepared is the most important thing when it comes to the possibility of the measles reaching Marshalltown.

Last week, the eighth case was identified in northwest Iowa. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) identified locations in Sheldon, Hull and Sioux Center in which an infected person spent time in. The reason specific locations are shared with the public is because the measles virus can survive for two additional hours after the infected person leaves, which is why it is called one of the most contagious illnesses.

Before arriving in northwest Iowa, seven other cases were also reported — in central Iowa, eastern Iowa, Linn County and Johnson County.

Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) Nurse Stacey Tool-Crawford is hoping the state will be able to get the virus contained.

“You never know,” she said. “The best thing to do is be prepared.”

Tool-Crawford is concerned about measles making its way to Marshalltown. She is not alone.

“Everyone has a heightened concern across the state,” Tool-Crawford said.

She has been in contact with other school district nurses throughout Iowa, developing a communication network and making sure everyone has a plan in place. Tool-Crawford said there is strong communication established between MCSD and Marshall County Public Health and HHS.

“We have plans in place and know where to turn,” Tool-Crawford said. “Being prepared is the best thing to do at this point.”

School at MCSD begins Aug. 25. On the chance a student or staff member develops measles, she said they will follow guidelines set by the county and the state.

“We work closely with public health. We will be notified about a confirmed case, and that confirmation has to come through a provider’s office,” Tool-Crawford said. “That person will then be excluded from the district until they are no longer contagious, and we will notify anyone who is exposed.”

She said some of that procedure might already be familiar to the Marshalltown residents who went through the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are differences. If a person with measles is identified, Tool-Crawford said they will be isolated right away, but hopes that does not occur during school hours.

“[Measles] is so contagious, and people move through multiple areas in our buildings,” she said. “We will have to trace back and see where they had been. Areas will be closed off, cleaned and disinfected. We will see who was in the classroom to identify possible exposures, and we will have to identify if they are vaccinated or if they need to be quarantined and should remain home for a period of time.”

For the measles, Tool-Crawford said the quarantine time period could be as long as 21 days.

Some people believe measles is not an illness to get too concerned about. However, Tool-Crawford said it spreads very quickly because it is highly contagious.

“There are serious side effects,” she added.

Some of those serious side effects of measles include encephalitis, pneumonia, hearing loss and pregnancy complications.

Tool-Crawford said the best way to protect against the virus is the vaccine, also known as MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella).

“The vaccine is highly effective and very safe,” she said. “At this point, being prepared, having awareness and making sure your MMR vaccine is current is what we’re asking families and staff to do.”

Tool-Crawford said people can check their vaccination records to see if the MMR was received. If not, she added they can get the vaccine through their medical provider or through Marshall County Public Health, which has MMR available. For the people who are not sure if they received the MMR and cannot find their record, they can get a titer – a blood test which measures the level of measles antibodies in a person’s blood. However, Tool-Crawford said titer tests can be costly.

“The health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority,” she said. “We will communicate with families if concerns arise. Please stay up to date on the vaccine. It is the most effective way to protect against the measles. We want to keep our schools and community healthy and safe.”

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.