Measles found in Kootenai County wastewater

Public health officials say they know measles are circulating around the Inland Northwest even though there are no reported cases.

Idaho state epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn says her agency has detected traces of the measles virus in wastewater in Kootenai County.

"We can’t tell who had the measles, whether they lived in the area or they were just passing through," she said. "We don’t know that, but we just know that this is another signal telling us that measles is here. It’s in the community and we just want to make sure that people are aware."

No one will catch the virus from the wastewater itself, she said, but it’s an indicator of the disease’s presence.

"It’s really a signal telling us it’s circulating in the community, and the risk

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