Va. health officials report second confirmed measles case, warn of potential exposures
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Version 0 of 1. Health officials are expanding an investigation into potential measles exposures in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland between May 11 and May 15 after a second case of the disease was recently confirmed. The announcement Wednesday by the Virginia Department of Health followed a May 6 warning of possible exposures in Loudoun and Fairfax counties. Officials said a second case of measles was recently verified in a person who had close contact with the patient who sparked the initial investigation. Health officials across the region are trying to identify people who might have been exposed to the more recent measles case, according to Lorrie Andrew-Spear, spokesperson for the Virginia Health Department. For those who might have been exposed on May 15, officials said that there could still be time for preventive treatment, which is especially critical for high-risk individuals such as pregnant women, infants and those with compromised immune systems. The treatment must be administered May 21 to be effective. Officials urge anyone who believes they might be affected to call 877-275-8343 as soon as possible. Those who have received at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the past face a very low risk of being infected from any exposure, according to David Goodfriend, a doctor with the Loudoun County Health Department. The disease is easily preventable through the vaccine, which is recommended in two doses for most people, with the first dose given at age 12 to 15 months and the second prior to kindergarten, officials said. But for anyone who has not received a dose of the vaccine, exposure to the highly contagious virus could lead to infection. Listed below are the dates, times and locations of the potential exposure sites associated with the second confirmed case of measles: Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month reported the biggest measles outbreak since 1996, with 129 people infected across 13 states in the United States. Doctors, parents and community residents were urged to look for any sign of the potentially deadly respiratory disease. Measles generally affects young children, according to health officials, and early symptoms include a fever of more than 101 degrees, a runny nose, watery eyes and a cough. The second stage of the illness generally appears around the third to seventh day, when a distinctive red rash appears on the face and spreads over the entire body, officials said. Based on the most recent dates of possible exposure, health officials said that anyone who became infected with the measles virus could develop symptoms as late as June 5. Anyone who develops symptoms is asked to isolate themselves in their homes to limit exposure to others, contact a primary health-care provider, and alert the doctor to the possibility of measles exposure. |