Health officials confirm measles case

The Fairfax County Health Department is warning residents they might have been exposed to a person with measles if they were at certain places on Feb. 2 or 3, including Inova Fairfax Hospital.

These are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites associated with the confirmed case of measles:
• Grand Centreville Plaza, 13880 Braddock Road, Centreville, Feb. 1, 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Grand Centreville Plaza, Feb. 3, 2:15-5 p.m.
• Inova Fairfax Hospital, pediatric and adult emergency departments, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Feb. 3, 5:30-9 p.m.

Measles is a highly contagious illness that is spread through coughing, sneezing, and contact with droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of an infected individual, the Health Department states.

Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever higher 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.

Based on the date of exposure, the Health Department says, someone exposed to the infected person could develop symptoms as late as Feb. 24.

Anyone who has received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or a measles-only vaccine, is protected and need not take any action.

A person who has received only one dose of a measles vaccine has a low risk of being infected if exposed but should talk to a healthcare provider about getting a second dose.

Anyone who has never had a measles vaccine or never had measles and might have been exposed should contact a healthcare provider or the Health Department, 703-688-3471, to find out how to decrease the risk of infection.

Those who develop measles symptoms should stay home, stay away from others, and immediately call their primary healthcare provider or the Health Department. Call ahead before going to the office or the emergency room and tell them that you were exposed to measles.