BINGHAMTON, NY (607NewsNow) – Broome County may have its first case of measles.
On September 26, the Broome County Health Department was informed by a local hospital of a potential case of measles.
Samples were collected from the hospitalized individual and sent to the New York State Department of Health’s (NYSDH) Wadsworth Laboratory for testing. Doctors are currently waiting on results to confirm the symptoms.
Health officials say the individual is not a county resident, and they came to Broome County for treatment. The Broome County Health Department and NYSDOH are currently investigating the case and conducting contact tracing.
The NYSDOH recently unveiled a measles tracker to keep the public informed of the rising number of cases across the state, of which the Southern Tier has seen a particularly acute spike. Seneca and Steuben Counties account for nearly 33% of confirmed cases in New York State outside of NYC.
Though Tompkins County remains without any confirmed cases, Medical Director Dr. William Klepack recently said that the county’s vaccination rate is lower than it should be.
