The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said a wastewater sample collected in Bangor on Aug. 13 tested positive for measles.
A subsequent sample a few days later tested negative. But Sara Robinson, an epidemiologist with the agency, said the initial detection means someone with measles was recently in Maine.
“We do not know their specific community location,” Robinson said. “We don’t know how long they stayed in Maine or whether they are a resident or a visitor, but we do know they were recently here. And we also know there are currently no confirmed cases here in Maine.”
Robinson is urging health care providers to be aware and screen for measles if appropriate, especially among people who have traveled.
“If measles does come into the state, the earlier we catch it, the better we can contain it,” she said. “And again, it’s always prevention. The more people that are vaccinated, the lower the risk is.”
Measles cases in the U.S. have reached their highest levels in more than 30 years, with more than 2,500 cases reported, including five in Maine.
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Utah and Oregon are among states with current outbreaks.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.