Measles Exposure Reported At Milwaukee Airport, State Health Officials Say

MILWAUKEE, WI — Wisconsin health officials are investigating a confirmed case of measles involving a person who traveled through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, prompting a public exposure notice for travelers and airport visitors.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said the individual traveled on Southwest Flight WN 266 from Phoenix to Milwaukee on Jan. 29 and may have exposed others at Mitchell International Airport between 10:31 p.m. and 12:31 a.m.

The case is linked to a confirmed measles case in another state and is not connected to recent cases in Waukesha or Dane counties, according to officials.

Health officials said there are no known public exposure locations in Walworth County at this time, though the individual later traveled there.

As part of the investigation, the state also reported its first-ever detection of measles in untreated wastewater in Walworth County through the state’s wastewater monitoring program.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air, remaining airborne for up to two hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes, health officials noted.

Symptoms typically appear 10 to 21 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes, fatigue, and a rash that begins at the hairline and spreads downward. Health officials warn that measles can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and brain damage, and that about one in four infected people in the U.S. are hospitalized.

Anyone who develops symptoms is urged to stay home and call a health care provider before seeking in-person care to avoid exposing others. Officials also encourage residents to check their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination status.

Two doses of the vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, and most people born before 1957 are considered immune.

State health officials said they will update the public if additional exposure locations are identified.