New measles exposure site tied to business owned by Shasta County supervisor

REDDING, CALIF. — Shasta County health officials on Thursday added a sixth public exposure site connected to a confirmed measles case, identifying a Redding business owned by a sitting county supervisor as a location where contact tracing is underway, according to a county press release.

The Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency said people who were at Ninja Coalition, 900 Dana Drive, between 2:30 and 5:20 p.m. Jan. 23 may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. The business is owned by District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye.

The location was added as part of an ongoing investigation into a single confirmed measles case. Health officials said the patient remains in isolation and that public health staff are contacting people who may have been exposed during the eight-day contagious period, according to the agency’s Feb. 6 release.

County officials emphasized that the listed locations are currently considered safe to visit and that public health does not have concerns about ongoing exposure at those sites.

The new exposure notice comes amid continued scrutiny of the county’s public health leadership, which was reshaped by a 3-2 vote of the Board of Supervisors in 2023. Crye was part of the board majority that voted to appoint James Mu, a longtime family medicine physician, as Shasta County’s public health officer.

Mu does not have formal training or prior professional experience in epidemiology or public health administration, according to reporting at the time of his appointment.

Community members and medical professionals raised concerns during the hiring process that his background as a general practitioner differed from that of previous county health officers.

The board’s decision followed an 18-month vacancy created when supervisors fired former health officer Karen Ramstrom in 2022. Ramstrom, who had extensive public health experience, was terminated after repeated clashes with members of the public and supervisors over COVID-19 safety measures, including vaccination and masking requirements.

At the time of Mu’s appointment, the board had also reduced county qualification requirements for the health officer position, removing the need for prior education or experience in public health in order to expand the applicant pool, according to county records and reporting.

Mu, who earns more than $220,000 annually as health officer, is responsible for overseeing infectious disease response, issuing quarantine orders when necessary, and communicating public health guidance to the community.

Health officials are urging anyone who was present at the listed exposure sites during the specified times to monitor for symptoms, check their vaccination status and call the county’s measles information line if they believe they may have been exposed.

Measles symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that typically starts on the face before spreading. The disease is airborne and can linger in enclosed spaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves.