Posted on 01/16/24
| News Source: FOX News
Washington, DC - Jan 16, 2024 - Health officials in the nation’s capital are warning thousands of a possible measles exposure Tuesday after a person with a "confirmed case" traveled through two of the busiest airports in the region while returning home from an international trip.
DC Health says the potential exposure occurred in the international arrivals area of the main terminal at Dulles International Airport between 4 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, then at terminal A at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the following day from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
"DC Health has been notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through DC area airports when returning from international travel," the agency said in a statement. "While the threat of transmission is low, DC Health is notifying District residents who were at these locations about their possible exposure."
The Virginia Department of Health issued a similar warning days earlier. Hundreds of flights involving thousands of travelers arrive and depart at both airports daily.
"Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start 7 to 14 days after being exposed," the Virginia Department of Health said in a statement.
"The second stage starts 3 to 5 days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spread to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from 4 days before the rash appears through 4 days after the rash appeared," it added.