A resident who recently traveled through Los Angeles International Airport and later visited locations in the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys has contracted the county’s first case of measles, health officials said Tuesday.
Travelers assigned to specific seats who may have been exposed on China Airlines flight CAL8/CI8 that arrived in Los Angeles on March 5 will be notified by local health departments, according to the LA County Department of Public Health in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Also, individuals who were at these locations on the specified dates and times may be at risk of developing measles because of exposure to the person confirmed to have the measles virus:
- Wednesday, March 5 between 7 and 10:40 p.m. at Terminal B of LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal;
- Friday, March 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cloud 9 Nail Salon, 5142 N. Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood; and
- Monday, March 10 between 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. at Superior Grocery Store, 10683 Valley Blvd. in El Monte.
If exposed individuals have not had measles in the past and have not received the measles vaccine, they are at risk of contracting the virus, according to health officials.
People at risk of developing measles were advised to consult a health care provider about receiving immunization and to monitor themselves for signs of illness from seven to 21 days following exposure. If symptoms develop, health officials said individuals should stay home and avoid school, work and gatherings.
“With measles outbreaks happening both in the United States and internationally, this recent case in our county highlights how important it is for anyone who has not been immunized to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine,” LA County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a statement.
“Measles spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, and a person infected with measles can pass it on to others before they feel sick or have symptoms,” Davis said. “Young children and those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for life-threatening complications from infection. Getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and stop the spread of this dangerous disease.”
The measles virus spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for many hours after an infected person has left the area.
Symptoms often include high fever, cough, runny nose and red and watery eyes. The “measles rash” usually starts between three and five days after other symptoms and typically begins at the face, then spreads down to the rest of the body.
A measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — MMR or MMRV — can prevent the virus.
A total of 222 measles cases have been reported in the United States this year, according to the CDC. That number is likely to rise due to the ongoing outbreak in West Texas and bordering New Mexico, county health officials said.
All five measles cases diagnosed in California this year involved recent international travel.
