A child from the Charlottesville area has been confirmed to have the third case of measles this year in Virginia.
The patient is 4 years old or younger, according to the Virginia Department of Health, and developed symptoms after exposure to the state’s second case, a teen between the ages of 13-17.
The second case was diagnosed on May 23. The first case in Virginia was in April.
Both individuals from the most recent cases are from the Northwest region, which includes Charlottesville.
VDH is working to locate individuals who may have been exposed to the child.
Potential exposure sites
- May 31: SugarBear Ice Cream, 1522 E. High St., Charlottesville, 4-7 p.m.
- June 1: Lowe’s Home Improvement, 400 Woodbrook Drive, Charlottesville, 1-6 p.m.
Indoor exposures pose the greatest risk. There is minimal risk of exposure for people outdoors at the ice cream location.
VDH: What to do if you may have been exposed
What should you do if you were at the above locations on the day and time specified?
- If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are protected and do not need to take any action, according to VDH.
- If you have never received a measles containing vaccine (either the measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccine or a measles-only vaccine which is available in other countries), you may be at risk.
- Anyone who might have been exposed and is considered to be at risk of developing measles should contact their healthcare provider immediately.
- Non-immune individuals may qualify for post-exposure treatments. People who might have been exposed and are not immune should contact their health care provider or local health department immediately to coordinate administration of post-exposure prophylaxis.
- Watch for symptoms for 21 days after the date of your potential exposure. If you notice symptoms, immediately isolate yourself by staying home.
- If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed and ask them to call the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff.
- Anyone with an immunocompromising condition should consult with their healthcare provider if they have questions or develop symptoms.
- If you have received only one dose of a measles-containing vaccine, you are very likely to be protected and your risk of being infected from any of these exposures is very low. However, to achieve the highest level of protection, contact your healthcare provider about getting a second vaccine dose.
About the measles
Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.
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 seven to 14 days after being exposed.
- The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.
Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection. Virginia has high vaccination rates, with approximately 95 percent of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles.
Infants who are too young to be vaccinated, and others who are not vaccinated, are very susceptible to infection if they are exposed.
Infants six months through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally, or to an outbreak setting, should receive one dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel.
For more information, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/
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Crystal Graham
