Tourist Causes Measles Warning In Putnam, Orange, NYC

BREWSTER, NY —A tourist from Australia who has been confirmed to have measles potentially exposed many others during trips to Putnam and Orange counties as well as visits across Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to New York state health officials.

Between Feb. 16-21, he visited the Watchtower Educational Center in Putnam County, an Orange County hotel, an Urgent Care Center in Orange County, and the Orange Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department after visiting hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan as part of an Oasis Bible Tour group.

The risk of developing measles is very low, especially for people who have been immunized.

Still, state health officials want to warn anyone who visited the following locations that they may have been exposed:

• La Quinta Inn, 31 W. 71st Street, New York, NY, between Feb. 16 and the morning of Feb. 19, 2018.
• Oasis Bible Tours at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY, the morning of Feb. 16, and the evening of Feb. 17, 2018.
• Watchtower Educational Center, 100 Watchtower Drive, Patterson, NY, between 12:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2018.
• Best Western Hotel, 1324 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, from Feb. 19 until 12 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2018.
• Comfort Inn & Suites Goshen – Middletown, 20 Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY, from 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 until 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2018.
• Excel Urgent Care, 1 Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY, between 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2018.
• Orange Regional Medical Center, Emergency Department, 707 E. Main Street, Middletown, NY, between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2018.

These times reflect not just the period that the infected man was in these areas, but also a two-hour period after he left the area, as the virus remains alive in air and on surfaces for up to two hours. This explains the overlap in times, officials said.

Anyone lacking immunity or who are not sure if they have been vaccinated, should contact their health care provider if they develop measles symptoms. Symptoms include a fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis or runny nose. Symptoms usually appear in 10-12 days after exposure. Individuals who may have been exposed and who lack immunity could begin experiencing symptoms at this time.

To prevent the spread of illness, state officials are advising everyone who may have been exposed and who have symptoms consistent with measles to contact their health care provider, a local clinic, or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help to prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness, they said.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people. People first develop a fever, then may have a cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by appearance of the rash.

The single best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated.

Individuals should receive two doses of MMR vaccine to be protected. If a person is unsure if they are immune they should contact their healthcare provider. Typically, the first dose should be given at 12-15 months of age and the second dose should be given at four to six years of age (age of school entry), although individuals may also be vaccinated later in life. In New York State, measles immunization is required of children enrolled in schools, daycare, and pre-kindergarten. Since August 1990, college students have also been required to demonstrate immunity against measles.

Health care providers should report all suspected cases of measles to their local health department.

More information about measles can be found here.