A person with a confirmed case of measles who visited an Arlington, Virginia, grocery store on July 1 is the same person who visited two spots in the District on July 2.
The person, whose identity has not been released, may have exposed people to measles after visiting a Harris Teeter at 624B N Glebe Rd in Arlington between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., the county’s health division said.
D.C.’s Department of Health (DC Health) told WTOP that the same person may have exposed others to measles at a CVS Pharmacy at 2226 Wisconsin Ave NW, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and a LabCorp site at 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the next day.
Where the person is from has not been released, but the Arlington County Public Health Division said it wasn’t from Virginia, and DC Health told WTOP it wasn’t from the District.
What to do if you may have been exposed to measles?
DC Health recommended monitoring symptoms until July 23 if you were possibly exposed unless you have received a measles-containing vaccine (either the measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccine or a measles-only vaccine which is available in other countries).
If you notice the symptoms of measles, it said you should immediately isolate yourself by staying home and away from others and contact your health care provider immediately.
If you need to visit your health care provider or go to the emergency room, DC Health said you should call ahead to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles so they can protect their staff and other patients.
If you have received two doses of a measles vaccine or were born before 1957, it said you are protected and do not need to take any action.
If you have an immunocompromising condition, DC Health said you should consult your health care provider if you have questions or develop symptoms.
What is measles?
“Some people think of measles as just a little rash and fever that clear up in a few days. But measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It said measles is highly contagious, and “if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected.”
The CDC called the MMR vaccine the “best protection” against the vaccine-preventable infectious disease.
How measles spreads
“Measles is very contagious. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes,” according to the CDC.
It said someone can contract measles “just by being in a room where a person with measles has been. This can happen even up to 2 hours after that person has left.”
Signs and symptoms of measles
The CDC said symptoms appear one to two weeks after contact with the virus, and may include a high fever that may spike to more than 104, coughing, a runny nose, rashes and red wand watery eyes.
Are you at risk?
Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk, according to the CDC. It said measles was “declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.” But, the virus “is still common in many parts of the world.”
The CDC said unvaccinated travelers who get measles while they are in other countries continue to bring the virus into the U.S. These include both Americans and international visitors.