Central Virginia health officials are mounting a coordinated effort to identify people exposed to a person with measles.
On Saturday, the Virginia Department of Health said that the person visited the Richmond International Airport on Tuesday night and a doctor’s office in suburban Richmond on Thursday afternoon.
The health officials mentioned the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites linked to the confirmed measles case:
- Richmond International Airport, 1 Richard E Byrd Terminal Dr, Richmond, VA 23250, Tuesday, December 17 from 9:00 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Of note, the individual did not pick up bags in baggage claim and proceeded directly to a private vehicle at curbside for transport.
- Health Visions MD, 1230 Alverser Dr Suite 100, Midlothian, VA 23113, Thursday, December 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The health department posted these instructions online and advised what you should do if you were at either of the locations. The directions depend on whether or not you have been vaccinated against measles.
The officials said people who have been infected could develop symptoms as late as January 11, 2020.
Measles is one of the highly contagious diseases spread through contact with droplets from cough and sneeze of an infected individual.
The signs and symptoms of measles are a fever of greater than 101 degrees, a runny nose, watery or red eyes and a cough. A rash may appear on the face and spread to the body after three to seven days. Measles can be prevented through a safe and effective measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The best protection against measles is the vaccination, according to the CDC.
