A person with a confirmed case of measles traveled through Northern Virginia in early January. Now, the Virginia Department of Health is looking to identify people who may have been exposed to the disease.
VDH is alerting people who were at various locations, including Dulles International Airport on January 3 and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 4, that they may have been exposed.
These are the specific sites of potential exposure:
- Dulles International Airport (IAD): the international arrivals area of the main terminal between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3, 2024
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): Terminal A between 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 4, 2024
Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread when an infected person breathes, sneezes, or coughs.
Symptoms appear in two stages, VDH says. In the first, people experience fever, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. The second stage, which begins three to five days after symptoms start, includes a rash on the face and body. The disease is contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after the rash disappears.
Those who have not received a measles vaccine may be at risk of developing measles and should watch for symptoms until January 25. If symptoms appear, the infected person should isolate themself at home and call a health care provider immediately.
Two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles and one dose is about 93 percent effective, according to the CDC.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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