Out-of-state visitor brings measles risk to Central Virginia, southwest region
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- An out-of-state visitor infected with measles has created an exposure risk in several locations throughout Central Virginia and Southwest Virginia, per state health officials. There have already been several exposure events in Virginia this year.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has confirmed a case of measles in a person who visited Virginia in early December, per a Dec. 17 press release.
The sick person, who is a resident of another state, visited multiple locations across the state while ill, creating an exposure risk for those who were also at these places around the same time.
Those exposure locations include:
- Mecklenburg County, one exposure location
- Where: The Home Depot, 250 Frank D. Harris Drive in the South Hill area
- When: Between 4 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5
- Lunenburg County, one exposure location
- Where: Wagon Wheel Cafe, 408 Main St. in the Kenbridge area
- When: Between 9:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6
- Campbell County, two exposure locations
- Exposure location #1
- Where: Lynchburg Livestock Market, 248 Livestock Rd. in the Rustburg area
- When: Between 3:15 and 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8
- Exposure location #2
- Where: McDonald's, 11059 Wards Rd. in the Rustburg area
- When: Between 4:15 and 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8
- Exposure location #1
If you were in any of these places during the listed dates and times, you may have been exposed to measles.
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State health officials added that the infected person was also in North Carolina while sick, with details on those exposure risks available here. No additional information was provided on the infected person, with the VDH saying it is trying to protect their privacy.
This is one of several measles exposures in Virginia this year, including cases involving small children, a teenager and another out-of-state traveler.
What do I do if I've been exposed?
Measles is a highly infectious disease that is easily spread through the air or by direct contact with mucus or throat discharge from the infected person. State health officials stress that measles is "easily preventable" through vaccination. Two doses of this vaccine provide lifetime protection.
For those reasons, if you were exposed but have received those two doses, you are considered safe -- you do not need to do anything. Additionally, anyone born before 1957 is considered safe, per the VDH.
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Those who have only received one dose of the vaccine are not fully protected, but they are “very likely” to be protected.
At-risk, exposed individuals who are unvaccinated and born after that cutoff should contact their healthcare provider immediately, as they are at risk of developing measles.
They are also encouraged to monitor themselves for symptoms, which can develop within 21 days of exposure. State health officials believe that anyone who was infected through this exposure event would likely develop symptoms between Dec. 12 and Dec. 29.
I'm at risk -- what symptoms should I look out for?
During the first stage of a measles infection, sick people often see a fever higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, a runny nose, red and watery eyes and a cough, according to state health officials. If you were exposed and infected, these symptoms would likely appear within 7 to 14 days of said exposure.
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The sickness usually progresses to its second stage about three to five days after the first stage begins. Sick people will start to notice a rash on their face, which will spread to the rest of their body.
Measles is contagious for four days before the rash appears and for four days afterwards, the VDH said.
If you start experiencing any of these symptoms, you should immediately self-isolate to prevent additional exposures to others.
To read the full press release from the VDH, click here.
