Three people who came to Northern Virginia from Afghanistan earlier this month during emergency evacuations have been diagnosed with measles, and health officials warned some people traveling through Dulles International Airport might have had exposure to the illness.
The Virginia Department of Health said in a news release Friday night that health officials are coordinating efforts to reach people who may have been exposed.
Below are the dates, times and locations of the potential exposure sites:
- Dulles International Airport: International Arrivals Building/U.S. Customs Hall and Main Terminal Ticketing Level
- Sept. 3, 4: 6:30 p.m. - 12 a.m., 9:30 p.m. - 3 a.m.
- Sept. 8: 4:30 - 10:30 a.m., 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Dulles Expo Center: Sept. 4 - 8
- Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport: Sept. 4 -9
- StoneSprings Hospital Center: Emergency Room
- Sept. 6: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sept. 8: 9 a. m. to 9 p.m.
- Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital: Floors 1-9
- Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. to Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
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Outside of these specific locations and times, health officials believe that the risk to the community is low.
Measles is a highly contagious illness that is spread through coughing, sneezing, and contact with droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected individual.
Symptoms usually appear in two stages: In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes and a cough. The second stage begins around the third to seventh day when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads over the entire body.
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People who have never received a measles containing vaccine nor had a documented case of measles, could be at risk of getting measles from this exposure, health officials said. Contact your local health department or health care provider for advice.
If you notice the symptoms of measles, stay home and away from others and immediately call your primary health care provider or health department to discuss further care. Call ahead before going to the medical office or the emergency room and tell them that you were exposed to measles, the health department said.
