For the second time this month, public health officials are warning travelers of possible measles exposure at Los Angeles International Airport after an infectious person landed there.
Someone with the highly contagious illness arrived March 5 on United Airlines flight 240 at Terminal 7, Gate 76A and was in the airport from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a news release.
The next day, the measles patient visited the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at 1719 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., the agency said.
Last week, officials said a passenger who had a layover at LAX on Feb. 21 could have exposed other travelers in the Tom Bradley International Terminal B and Delta Terminal 3.
Authorities don’t believe the two cases are related. People who were on the measles patients’ flights have been contacted separately, officials said.
But anyone who was at LAX or the Enterprise in Santa Monica during those time frames could be at risk of developing the infection.
Currently, there’s no known measles risk at the airport or car rental facility.
The illness can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes; respiratory droplets containing the live virus can remain in the air for two hours.
People who haven’t been vaccinated and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk.
Officials warned that this may not be the last measles scare at the busy airport. So far this year, 268 measles cases have been confirmed in 15 states with outbreaks in six jurisdictions, including California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms include fever, cough, a runny nose and red eyes. A rash usually appears 10 to 21 days after exposure, according to public health officials.
Anyone who develops measles symptoms should contact their health care provider.
If you have not developed any symptoms by March 27, you are no longer considered at risk of developing measles from the March 5 exposure.
For more information about the infection and immunization, call 211 or visit the county’s public health website.
