Fairfax County Health Officials Investigating Confirmed Measles Case

IMAGE of Measles from Centers for Disease Control

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The Fairfax County Health Department and the District of Columbia Health Department are investigating a confirmed case of measles in an adult with recent history of international travel, according to a news release from the health department.

The individual has been discharged from Inova Fairfax Medical Campus and is no longer contagious, according to the health department. Prior to diagnosis, the individual visited multiple locations in both Washington DC and Fairfax County, the health department said.

Public health workers are engaged in a coordinated effort to identify those who were in direct contact with the person with measles and are making the appropriate notifications, the county said. Out of an abundance of caution, the health departments are also informing people who may have been exposed during the time period prior to the diagnosis when the person was contagious, between May 10 and May 16, 2015.

Symptoms of Measles

The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Measles typically begins with

• high fever,
• cough,
• runny nose (coryza), and
• red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis).

Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth.

People who were at the locations listed below, at the times indicated, may have been exposed to the measles virus and should call the health department in that jurisdiction to determine their risk for measles.

Locations and exposure times in Washington DC:

• Embassy Suites, 900 10th St., NW, Washington, DC: Sunday, May 10 through Friday, May 15, All hours; call DC Dept. of Health: (202) 420-0199
• IFC Building: Monday, May 11, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; call DC Dept. of Health (202) 420-0199

Locations in Fairfax County:

• Emergency Department, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA: Tuesday, May 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; call Fairfax County HD (703) 267-3511
• Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, North Tower (Floors 6-11), 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church: Friday, May 15 at 3:30 p.m. to Saturday, May 16 at 3 p.m.; call Fairfax County HD, 703-267-3511
• Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, North Tower (Lobby), 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA: Friday, May 15, 3:30 p.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, May 16, 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.; call Fairfax County HD, 703-267-3511
• Inova Fairfax Medical Campus: Women’s and Children’s Bldg., (Ground Level & Basement), 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA: Friday, May 15: 3:30 p.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, May 16, 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m. call Fairfax County HD|703-267-3511
• Woodburn Medical Park Building #2, 3289 Woodburn Road, Annandale: Friday, May 15, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., call Fairfax County HD, 703-267-3511
• The Shelby Apartments: 6200 N. Kings Highway Alexandria, VA, Sunday, May 10: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, May 15, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.; call Fairfax County HD 703-267-3511

In Fairfax County, a call center has been established to address concerns and answer questions about measles. Anyone concerned about exposures in Fairfax County are encouraged to call 703-267-3511 between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. today and between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, May 20 and May 21.

For concerns about exposures in Washington DC, people should contact the DC Health Department at 202-420-0199.

Preventative treatment may be recommended for those who were exposed and are unvaccinated and at high risk (including pregnant women, infants under the age of 12 months, and people with severely compromised immune systems). Please call the health department in your jurisdiction as soon as possible to be assessed for exposure risk.

Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus that is spread through coughing, sneezing and contact with secretions from the nose, mouth and throat of an infected individual. While few measles cases are reported in the United States, the disease is common in many parts of the world.

Symptoms of measles usually appear within 7 to 21 days after exposure and can include fever greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes and cough, followed by a blotchy rash that appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The disease is most severe in infants and adults.

People who have received at least one dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the past are at very low risk of being infected with measles. Measles is easily preventable through safe and effective MMR vaccine. All members of the community who have not been vaccinated are encouraged to do so to protect themselves and others.

Residents who were present at any of the locations listed above during the exposure times should review their family’s vaccination history and call their health care provider if they experience any symptoms of measles. Please call ahead before going to the doctor’s office or the emergency room and tell them that you may have been exposed to measles.

If you or a family member has not received the MMR vaccination and you were present at one of the locations listed above during the exposure time, then you should call the health department in your jurisdiction.

For more information on measles, visit the Fairfax County Health Department at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd, the District of Columbia Health Department at www.doh.dc.gov, or Virginia Department of Health at www.vdh.state.va.us.