DIA Travelers Warned Of Possible Measles Exposure
DENVER (CBS4)- Denver International Airport is warning travelers and employees that they may have been exposed to measles. The exposure would have happened on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
According to the Department of Public Health and Environment, a person with measles arrived at DIA, Gate C39 at about 9 p.m. That person remained in the area for several hours.
People who were working or traveling through Concourse C at DIA on Tuesday after 9 p.m. should monitor themselves for any early symptoms of measles, especially fever, from March 1 to March 12.
People who develop a fever should contact their health care provider or their local or state health department. People with symptoms should not go to child care, school, work or out in public, as they might have the early symptoms of measles and might be contagious. People with these symptoms should call their doctor to inform the office about their symptoms before showing up in the waiting room.
Measles is a very contagious viral disease which is easily spread through coughing, sneezing and secretions from the mouth. The measles virus may remain in the air for a couple of hours. Measles develops seven to 18 days after exposure.
Early symptoms of measles are fever, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes. Usually, one to four days after the early symptoms, a red rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. A person with measles is contagious beginning four days before the rash appears.
People are considered immune to measles if they were born in the United States before 1957, previously had measles or have had two measles shots.
The last case of measles in a Colorado resident was in 2006. Before that, the state had one case in 2004 and two cases in 2000.