Confirmed Measles Case Prompts Alerts In Austin

AUSTIN, TX — Health officials are warning the public after a person was diagnosed with measles, alerting of the places the affected person patronized before taking ill.

Officials said the confirmed case of measles is the first in 20 years for Travis County.

"A person residing in Travis County has been diagnosed with measles," Austin health officials wrote on a municipal website "Out of an abundance of caution, health departments in Central Texas are informing people who were at various locations listed below during the specified time frames that they may have been exposed to an individual with measles."

KVUE reported the infected person traveled from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Virginia, and is currently in the latter area.

Local, state and federal health officials have mounted a coordinated effort to inform people who may have been exposed, officials said. To that end, officials provided the dates and locations of the potential exposure sites associated with the confirmed case of measles. Dates and locations may change as information is gathered, officials cautioned.

Dec. 14 (evening):

• Chipotle Mexican Grill, 6301 W Parmer Lane

Dec.14-16:

• HEB, 6001 W Parmer Lane

Dec. 15:

• Saam Thai, 6301 W Parmer Lane

Dec. 15-16

• Mandola’s Italian, 4700 W Guadalupe Street

Dec. 16 (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.):

• Target, 10107 Research Blvd.
• Marco’s Pizza, 11011 Research Blvd.

Dec. 17 (Noon – 4 p.m.):

• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, 3600 Presidential Blvd.
  • United Airlines, gate area

Measles is a virus that is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. those who are not vaccinated are at high risk when around someone who has measles.

If you have received two MMR vaccinations, you are protected. If you received one or no MMR vaccinations you are at an increased risk of infection. Symptoms include cough, rash, fever and sore eyes.

Health officials urge residents to call their doctors immediately if they were at the locations outlined above during the specified dates and developed a fever before Jan. 1, 2020. Health officials said it is important to call and provide your physician with this information before going.

“Measles is an acute, highly contagious viral disease. A small number of cases are capable of quickly producing epidemics," Dr. Mark Escott, interim health authority and medical director for Austin Public Health, said in a prepared statement. "The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is by immunization."

Children should receive their first dose of measles vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age; another dose at 4-6 years of age. Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine is generally first given at 12 months of age in the United States but is sometimes recommended for children as young as 6 months of age who are traveling outside the United States or could be infected in an outbreak.

For more information on measles, visit www.cdc.gov/measles/toolkit/index.html.
For more information on immunizations, visit www.austintexas.gov/immunizations.