Philadelphia officials warn of possible exposure to highly infectious measles virus
Health officials in Philadelphia are warning residents about potential exposures to the highly infectious measles virus at multiple health facilities in the city over the past week.
The child who has the virus was at the following locations in the city at these times, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health:
- The South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center, 1700 South Broad Street. The building includes the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Pediatric Primary Care unit in South Philadelphia, the health department's Health Center No. 2 and the South Philadelphia library, but no one in the library is at risk.
- The person was in that building on Friday, March 7, between 10:45 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. The next day on March 8, the person was there between 9:05 a.m. and 1:20 p.m.
- The CHOP emergency room at 3401 Civic Center Boulevard on Monday, March 10 between 7:55 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
The person was exposed to measles while traveling abroad, and officials do not believe the case is connected to a recent one that occurred in Montgomery County.
The patient who has measles is an 11-month-old who was too young to be vaccinated. The baby was first seen at CHOP's South Philadelphia Center. The child didn't have obvious signs of measles until later going to the main emergency department.
"After this child developed that measles rash, which is much more indicative of it being measles, ended up going to the emergency department and that's where that child got diagnosed," Gayle Mendoza with the city's health department said.
Mendoza said the health department is now doing contact tracing.
"Measles is incredibly contagious and really does linger in the air," Mendoza said. "So, after somebody leaves a room, that virus stays there for another two hours afterward. So that exposure time isn't just when that child is in space, it also accounts for two hours afterwards."
Mendoza said the child is being treated with vitamin A.
"It's only given to kids who are severely ill, which means they're hospitalized, in order to prevent them from dying ultimately," Mendoza said. "That's what the vitamin A has been shown to be helpful for, and that this child is receiving."
Mendoza emphasized that vitamin A is only a treatment and does not prevent measles.
Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson said she is not concerned about a threat to the general public. Still, the spread of measles is a concern for people who are not protected against the virus or cannot be.
"As vaccination rates across the country continue to drop, there are more and more opportunities for people who cannot be vaccinated to be exposed to this deadly disease. That's why it is critical for everyone who needs to be protected from measles to get vaccinated as soon as possible," Raval-Nelson said in a news release.
Measles is an easily transmitted virus that can spread through respiratory droplets. Symptoms include a fever, runny nose, cough and puffy eyes. A rash usually develops a few days after symptoms start, according to the CDC.
"People who are not protected from measles but are exposed should quarantine, or stay at home away from others, for 21 days after the exposure. If someone who is quarantining due to measles must go out, they should wear a mask the entire time they are out. Wearing a mask won't completely prevent spread, but it will help lower the chances of them spreading measles to others," Raval-Nelson said.
"If you are protected from measles, you do not have to do anything. Measles vaccine is extremely effective at preventing measles," her department said in the release.
Dr. Paul Offit, CHOP's director of vaccine education, expects measles cases to continue to increase because of to vaccine skepticism.
"This is a highly contagious virus, and I don't think people realize how sick it can make you," Offit said.
People who aren't vaccinated against measles and may have been exposed are advised to call their health care provider. Doctors say that while the first dose of the vaccine isn't usually given until babies are 12 months old, it can be done earlier if they are traveling internationally or to locations where there is an outbreak.
