An individual now confirmed to have measles may have exposed people to the virus in mid-May. The exposure may have happened at the Dulles International Airport as well as other locations in Montgomery County.
Measles Exposure In Maryland
Heath officials announced a confirmed case of measles in an individual who passed through the Dulles International Airport in mid-May. Evidently, the patient, who contracted the virus while traveling in another country, began experiencing symptoms in the United States and was diagnosed with measles just last Wednesday, May 23.
Unfortunately, the patient may have also exposed the virus to people he or she may have encountered at the baggage claim area of the airport on May 15, between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., as well as at Nordstrom Rack in Gaithersburg between 3 and 6 p.m. on May 17, and at Hearing Room 2K of the Circuit Court of Maryland between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 18.
Anyone who may have been exposed to the virus and begin to experience symptoms should limit contact with other people and contact Montgomery County's Disease Control Office.
The Latest Measles Case In The United States
The confirmed measles case is only the latest in the string of measles cases and outbreaks in various locations around the United States. This year alone, other locations with confirmed measles cases include Missouri, Kansas, Detroit, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois.
Interestingly, measles should actually be no longer common in the United States compared to other regions such as Asia, Europe, and Africa, where the disease is still fairly common. However, the disease still gets into the country through unvaccinated U.S. travelers who get the disease from other countries and expose other unvaccinated people in the country.
It is for this reason that the CDC recommends international travelers to get the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine before any international travel, so as to avoid getting the virus and transmitting it to other people as well.
Anyone who is unprotected from measles is considered at risk of getting the disease when they travel internationally, whether the individual is an infant, a child, or an adult. This is an especially significant part in international travel, as over 89,000 people die from measles each year.
Measles Transmission
Measles is transmitted from one person to another through air by breathing, sneezing, or coughing. According to the CDC, measles is so contagious that 90 percent of individuals who get exposed but do not have immunity will probably get it. Further, virus transmission may begin as early as four days before the rash begins to manifest.
Its most common symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, rash, and red and watery eyes.
