CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The West Virginia Bureau of Public Health believes some West Virginians may have been exposed to measles after a Maryland resident, infected with the illness, landed at the Washington Dulles International Airport on Mar. 5.
Officials say the site of the possible exposure site is in terminal A of the airport, happening on transportation to the main terminal and the baggage claim area between 4-9 p.m.
Department of Health officials also say if you were in that area or think you may have been exposed, it’s best to watch for symptoms until Mar. 26.
The Department of Health said the first stage of symptoms often result in a fever greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, cough and watery red eyes. Officials said these symptoms can show up seven to 14 days after exposure.
After symptoms start, officials said three to five days after that, a rash could appear on the face and spread 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,” according to a release from the Department of Health.
Kanawha County Health Officer, Dr. Steven Eshenaur, said measles spreading to several states bordering West Virginia shows just how infectious the disease can be.
“A room with 10 people, nine out of 10 would likely contract the disease because it is spread so easily through the air. Even after a person leaves a room, measles can be spread for hours potentially later, just from it lingering in the air.”
Eshenaur said West Virginia has some of the highest immunization rates in the country, and it’s the only way to prevent an outbreak.
“So, it’s really important not to buy into unscientific data that says that you could treat this disease with vitamin A, when in fact, it does not work for the treatment or prevention of measles.”
He said a change to the current requirement for vaccines would make cases here more likely.
“If we do relax our immunization laws, our population will likely become susceptible to measles outbreaks as we have seen in the other states.”
Dr. Eshenaur said children and pregnant women are at risk of the worst effects when catching measles without protection.
“Measles can cause irreparable damage to an unborn child, so it’s really important that women be protected from contracting measles.”
Eshenaur says the disease is a little too close for comfort and using remedies including cod liver oil, vitamin A and diet changes will not cure the disease.
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