Measles case diagnosed in Massachusetts; Possible exposures in Plymouth, Waltham, Mass. Pike rest stop, Cape Cod and more

Measles outbreak

FILE - This Wednesday, March 27, 2019 file photo shows a sign explaining the local state of emergency because of a measles outbreak at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. Measles is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It's so contagious that 90 percent of people who aren't immunized are infected if exposed to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is issuing a measles warning after a person in the greater Boston area was diagnosed with the disease on Sunday.

The victim went to several public locations while infectious and could have spread the virus to other people. The measles virus, which is very contagious, can live on surfaces for at least two hours, officials said.

“The measles virus is currently causing large national and international outbreaks of measles and a lack of vaccination, combined with domestic and international travel, has resulted in the spread of illness,” said Dr. Catherine Brown, Massachusetts State Epidemiologist. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from this disease.”

Officials in Rockland County, New York, have been battling an outbreak of the disease for at least six months. The outbreak has been especially pervasive in the Orthodox Jewish community. The county has declared a state of emergency to ban unvaccinated children and teens from public places.

The Department of Public Health is putting out an alert to anyone who has not been vaccinated or is not immune to measles that they may be at risk of developing measles if they were exposed.

People who visited the following locations at the times and dates could have been exposed and should contact their health care provider: Tuesday between 1:40 and 4:40 p.m., KKatie's Burger Bar, Main Street Extension in Plymouth; Wednesday between 8:40 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., Starbucks, 12 Market Place Drive, Waltham; Wednesday, 2:05 to 4:20 p.m., Framingham Service Plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike westbound; on Thursday, 8:50 a.m. to 11:10 a.m., Staples, 800 Lexington St., Waltham; Thursday 9:10 to 11:15 a.m., Dunkin in the Wal-Lex Shopping Center, Waltham; Thursday, 11:55 a.m. to 2:05 p.m., Whole Foods, 990 Lyannough Road, Hyannis and Thursday 2 to 4:50 p.m., Target, 250 Granite St., Braintree.

Those who have not been immunized or do not know their measles immunization status should get vaccinated with at least one dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Measles vaccine given within 72 hours of exposure may prevent measles disease, and vaccination beyond this window will provide protection from subsequent exposures. The department, local health departments and healthcare providers are working together to contact individuals at high risk for exposure, Brown said.

People born before 1957 are believed to be immune, Brown said.

People with measles may be contagious up to four days before the rash appears and for four days after the day the rash appears so those who are unvaccinated should limit their exposure to public places.

Symptoms of measles occur between 10 days and two weeks after exposure. They can begin with cold-like symptoms such as a fever, cough and runny nose. A rash breaks out two to four days after the initial symptoms develop and typically appears on the head and spreads downward. It usually lasts a few days, she said.

Those who were exposed and begin to develop symptoms of measles should call their healthcare provider before visiting an office, clinic, or emergency department to avoid spreading the disease, Brown said.

Children should receive their first dose of Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months. School-aged children need two doses of MMR vaccine and adults should have at least one dose of the vaccine, if they have not been inoculated. Those at high risk, including international travelers, health care workers and college students, should have two doses of the vaccine, she said.

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