Maryland resident positive, traveled through Dulles
Measles outbreak: Who’s at risk and who’s likely immune from virus
As measles continue to spread in the U.S., here’s who is at risk and who’s immune from one of the most contagious viruses in the world.
Maryland health officials have identified a positive case of measles in a state resident who recently traveled internationally.
The state’s Department of Health said in a release Sunday that the resident lives in Howard County, located southeast of Baltimore. The case is not associated with measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, officials said.
Area leaders are working to locate people who could have been exposed to the virus, including anyone who visited Washington Dulles International Airport’s main terminal, terminal A and baggage area on March 5 between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., as well as Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department the afternoon of March 7 between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
People in at least 12 states have been infected with measles since January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Close to 200 people in Texas and 30 in New Mexico have been infected. Two people have died, including a school-aged child in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico.
Other states that have reported cases include Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York and Washington. The majority of those cases were in unvaccinated children.
This is Maryland’s first case of measles so far this year.
Who is most at risk of measles?
People who have received two measles vaccine shots, previously had measles, or were born in the U.S. before 1957 are believed to be immune to the virus. People in the U.S. traditionally receive the measles vaccination around their first birthday.
Pregnant women, infants under the age of one and those who are immune compromised are most at risk of complications from measles.
Measles symptoms
Measles symptoms often develop within 10-14 days of exposure to the virus but may take as long as 21 days to show up. A person with measles is contagious four days before they begin to show signs of a rash and four days after the rash begins. Here are common symptoms of the virus:
◾Fever of more than 101 degrees.
◾Runny nose.
◾Cough.
◾Red, watery eyes.
◾Loss of appetite, diarrhea.
◾A red rash on the face and body typically appears one to four days after early symptoms.
◾Koplik spots, tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin.
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge and Nathan Diller
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