Suspected Case of Measles in Fairfax County

The Fairfax County Health Department is awaiting test results on a suspected case of measles in Fairfax County, according to a release.

The resident involved is self-isolated at home and health officials are identifying potential exposure sites.

Test results are expected to be released mid-day Wednesday, and the health department said no additional details would be released until that time.

A nationwide outbreak of measles surged in January to more than 100 cases, beginning with identified exposures at Disneyland in California. If this Fairfax case is confirmed, it would be the first reported case in Virginia during this outbreak.

Last month, Washington, D.C., confirmed its first case of measles this year, but noted the infected patient was an isolated incident due to international travel, and not associated with the California outbreak.

More at Patch:

• ‘Isolated’ Case of Measles Confirmed in D.C.
• Patient With Measles Brought to Atlanta

Measles is a highly contagious illness that is spread through coughing, sneezing and contact with secretions from the nose, mouth and throat of an infected individual, according to the health department. People with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are at a very low risk of being infected.

The health department notes there are two stages to a measles infection:

• In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes and a cough.
• The second stage begins around the third to seventh day when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads over the entire body.

For more information on measles, visit the Fairfax County Health Department web page or the Virginia Department of Health website.