2 Measles Cases Confirmed In NoVA: Here's Where

MANASSAS, VA — Two adults with the measles who had recently traveled together within the United States visited multiple stores, a church and a medical clinic and the last 10 days, the Virginia Department of Health said.

The patients made stops between Feb. 13 and 17 at several stores in the Manassas area, including a Harris Teeter, Walmart, Best Buy, Lidl and Target.

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Health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed.

Anyone who came in contact with the measles patients would most likely become sick between Feb. 18 and March 10, authorities said.

These are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites in Virginia:

• Harris Teeter, 10060 Market Circle in Manassas, between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 13
• Walmart, 9401 Liberia Avenue in Manassas, between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, February 13
• Marco’s Pizza, 9223 Sudley Road in Manassas, between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Friday, February 13
• Bull Run Unitarian Universalists, 9350 Main Street in Manassas, between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, February 14
• Best Buy Outlet, 7665 Sudley Road in Manassas, between 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday, February 14
• Mountaintop Church, 9213 Center Street in Manassas
  • Saturday, February 14 between 4:30 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.
  • Sunday, February 15 between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lidl, 9795 Liberia Avenue in Manassas, between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, February 15
• Target, 9900 Sowder Village Square in Manassas, between 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, February 15
• Medical Center, 7051 Heathcote Village Way in Gainesville, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Monday, February 16
• Office Building, 2800 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 17

So far this year, Virginia has 10 reported cases of measles. Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website.

What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to Measles

Most people in Virginia have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. However, anyone who was at the potential exposure sites at the times listed should:

• Report your exposure to VDH by completing this short survey. Public health officials will follow up with respondents if additional actions are needed.
• Find out if you have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously. Make sure you are up to date with the recommended number of measles (MMR) vaccinations.
  • To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the VDH Record Request Portal.
  • If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected and do not need to seek post-exposure treatment at this time.
• People who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles should contact their healthcare provider or call their local health department People who are not immune to measles may qualify for post-exposure treatments. There is a small timeframe for these protective post-exposure treatments to be effective.
• Watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure. Monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles.
  • If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home. Contact your healthcare provider right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff.
  • Contact your local health department or email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov to discuss any additional recommendations.

General Measles Information

Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles 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. These symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after being exposed.

The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.

Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine, state health officials said. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection. Virginia has high measles vaccination rates, with about 95% of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles.

However, infants who are too young to be vaccinated, and others who are not vaccinated, are at high risk of developing measles if they are exposed. Infants six months through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally, or to an outbreak setting, should receive one dose of MMR vaccine before travel. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about the MMR vaccine.

For more information about measles visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/.