First confirmed measles case in Los Angeles County since 2015. How to protect yourself
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- The infected traveler passed through Terminal B at Los Angeles International Airport on Feb. 19.
- The largest number of cases and the first death from the disease since 2015 — an unvaccinated child— have occurred in rural west Texas.
Public health officials confirm this week the first case of measles in Los Angeles County in 10 years, amid a growing number of cases in Texas and across the nation.
A non-Los Angeles resident who traveled to Los Angeles International Airport while infectious with the disease arrived on a Korean Air flight in Terminal B on Feb. 19, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health stated. The infected traveler was an infant returning home to Orange County after international travel, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
Measles is a viral infection that spreads through the air and via droplets. It can potentially lead to serious health consequences, including death. It can spread when an infected person breaths, coughs or sneezes or by touching an infected surface, according to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The infection is so contagious, the Centers for Disease Control said, you can get measles just by being in a room where the infected person has been — even up to two hours after that person has left the room.
California has three reported cases of the measles as of Feb. 22; there are 164 cases across the U.S. in states that include Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The largest number of cases and the first death from the disease since 2015 — an unvaccinated child — have occurred in rural west Texas.
Los Angeles County reported its first case of human H5N1 bird flu infection Monday, as health officials sought to spread public awareness of the threat.
Experts say the uptick in cases is caused by an overall decline in measles vaccination rates worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. The infection is so contagious that at least 95% of a community needs to be immunized to prevent it from spreading. In the U.S. most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergarten-age children.
Travelers and airport staff who were at Terminal B — which serves flights for Air China, Air France, All Nippon Airways, British Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways, among others — on Feb. 19 between 1 and 4 p.m. may be at risk of developing measles due to possible exposure.
Another possible exposure site includes specific seats on the Korean Airline flight. Potentially exposed passengers can expect to be contacted by their local health departments.
“Measles is a serious respiratory disease that spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, particularly among people who are not already protected from it,” said Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County Health Officer.
California has three reported cases of the measles as of Feb. 22; there are 164 cases across the U.S. in states that include Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In the U.S., most states now are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.
What to do if you are contacted by health officials about possible exposure?
Public health officials advise that you confirm whether you’ve been vaccinated against the measles.
If you have not had measles in the past and have not yet received the measles vaccine, you are at risk of contracting the disease if you’ve been exposed, according to county public health officials.
If you were on the flight or at the terminal where the infected traveler passed through you should:
- Review your immunization and medical records to determine if you’re protected against measles.
- Contact and notify your healthcare provider as soon as possible about a potential exposure if you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system or are unimmunized against the disease. Parents or guardians of infants who were possibly exposed should contact their pediatrician.
- Monitor yourself for symptoms.
- If symptoms develop, stay home and do not enter a healthcare facility before calling first to make them aware of your exposure and symptoms.
How long would it take for signs of symptoms?
“A person can spread the illness to others before they have symptoms, and it can take seven to 21 days for symptoms to show up after exposure,” Davis said.
Exposed individuals who have been free of symptoms for more than 21 days are no longer at risk.
The death was a ‘school-aged child who was not vaccinated’ and had been hospitalized, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement.
What are symptoms?
Between 7 and 14 days after exposure, your symptoms could include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and rash.
Between 7 and 18 days after exposure, you may develop a rash on your face and upper neck. The rash can spread to your hands and feet over the course of three days. Health officials say the rash lasts between five and six days before fading.
The infection can result in severe complications, including blindness, encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage), severe diarrhea and related dehydration, ear infections, trouble breathing due to pneumonia and, in some cases, death, according to the World Health Organization
“Measles can lead to severe disease in young children and vulnerable adults,” Davis said.
It’s common for complications to occur in children under 5 and adults over the age of 30, according to public health experts.
How to protect yourself against the measles
Health officials say the best way to protect against the measles is with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. The CDC recommends getting the first dose of the MMR vaccine at ages 12 to 15 months and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.
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