State Confirms Lahey Measles Case

BURLINGTON, MA -- The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed a case of measles that was treated and diagnosed at Lahey Medical Center in Burlington. The patient was sent to Lahey Medical Center in Burlington after going to a Lexington Primary Care practice with a fever and rash on Aug. 20.

"The individual, during their infectious period, was in a number of locations that could have resulted in exposures to other people," the department said in a statement.

The department also released a list of locations where the patient had been and may have exposed others to the disease, including:

• Logan Airport Terminal B, Boston 8/15, 8:30am - 10:30am
• Lexington High School Library, 251 Waltham St., Lexington 8/16, 3:30pm - 5:30pm
• Irving H. Mabee Town Pool Complex, 80 Worthen Rd., Lexington 8/19, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
• Lahey Outpatient Center, Lexington, 16 Hayden Ave., Lexington 8/20, 11:30am - 3:00pm
• Lahey Hospital, Burlington, Emergency Department 8/20, 1pm - 10:30pm
• Lahey Hospital, Burlington, Inpatient Units 7 Central, 6 Central, and 5 Central (ICU and CCU) 8/20 from 8:00pm to 8/21 at 9:00pm

Lahey Health's Lexington Outpatient Center sent out an email with details about the situation. The patient told doctors he or she had been exposed to measles while traveling.

"Upon learning of the exposure, we immediately enacted infectious disease protocols and isolated the patient in a negative air pressure room. We also contacted the Massachusetts Department of Public Health about the suspected measles diagnosis and they are in the process of confirming the diagnosis," the email said.

Measles are highly contagious, airborne, infection, with symptoms usually developing 10 to 12 days after exposure. The illness lasts seven to 10 days. Initial symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and inflamed eyes. A red rash usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. While the measles vaccine is highly effective and reduced deaths by 75% between 2000 and 2013, 90% of people who are not vaccinated and exposed to the virus will develop symptoms.

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).