WASHINGTON — People in some areas of Prince George’s County and D.C. may have been exposed to measles.
A case of measles was confirmed May 19, and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene want people to know as a precaution.
Below are the dates and locations of potential exposure:
- May 8 — Department of Social Services Building, 6505 Belcrest Road, #100A, Hyattsville, Md.
- May 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Social Security Building, 6110 Allentown Road, Suitland, Md.
- May 9-10, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. — Prince George’s Hospital Center Emergency Department, Cheverly, Md.
- May 11, from 3 to 7 p.m. — Prince George’s Hospital Center Emergency Department, Cheverly, Md.
- May 12-13, from 4:15 to 10:47 p.m. — Prince George’s Hospital Center Emergency Department, Cheverly, Md.
- May 13, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. — Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
- May 15, 2:30 to 5 p.m. — Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
The patient also used the No. 12 public transit to and from Prince George’s Hospital Center on May 9 and May 10.
The patient was admitted to Children’s National on May 13 and was isolated for a majority of the hospitalization. The patient contracted measles outside the United States and developed symptoms here, a news release said.
DHMH said that a person infected on May 15 could develop symptoms as late as June 5.
“We’re not aware of any additional cases,” Maryland’s Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Howard Haft said. “It’s very good news. And not surprising news.”
Maryland has a near 100 percent immunization rate.
“The likelihood of an unimmunized person coming in contact with an individual during the period when they’re infectious is exceeding low,” Haft said. “So, we don’t typically expect that we’ll see a significant outbreak.”
Out of an abundance of caution, anyone who might have been exposed when the measles patient was infectious has been notified “to the extent possible,” Haft said.
Haft said immunization is the greatest public health story that’s ever been told.
“Immunizations have saved millions and millions of lives,” Haft said. “Failure to immunize is a cause for still tragic loss of life unnecessarily.”
Measles is a contagious disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, then a rash of tiny red dots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though most people in the United States have been vaccinated against measles, those who have not been vaccinated could be at risk. The CDC reported that from Jan. 1 to April 22, 61 people from 10 states were reported to have measles. The majority of people who got the disease were not vaccinated.
Measles is a common disease in many parts of the world, including areas in Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Africa; and cases can result from international travel and exposure of unvaccinated people.
Contact your doctor if you have been exposed to measles or if you are exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
For more information call the department’s resource line at 410-795-7365.
WTOP’s Kristi King contributed to this report.
