Va. health department warns of measles exposure at Dulles, Washington National Airports

ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is looking to identify people who may have been exposed to measles at Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in early January.

VDH said they were notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through Northern Virginia while returning from international travel.

Officials said people who were at the following locations may have been exposed:

• Dulles International Airport’s international arrivals area on Wednesday, Jan. 3 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Reagan National Airport’s Terminal A on Thursday, Jan. 4 between 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Officials said they are also coordinating an effort to identify those who may have been exposed, including contacting passengers on specific flights who were potentially exposed.

Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to officials.

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Symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever, runny nose, red eyes and cough, according to officials.

In the second stage, a rash can appear on the face and spread to the rest of the body, officials said. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after the rash appears.

Individuals who may have been exposed at one of the two airports should watch for symptoms until January 25 and isolate if symptoms appear.

VHD officials recommend calling ahead before going to a healthcare provider to notify them you may have been exposed to measles.

Those who received two doses of the measles vaccine or those born before 1957 are protected and do not need to take any action, according to officials.

Find more information online here or by contacting VDH by phone at (804) 864-8140 or by sending an email to [email protected].