The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is actively seeking to identify individuals who may have been exposed to measles at Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in early January. The VDH was alerted to a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through Northern Virginia after returning from international travel.
Potential exposure locations and times include:
- 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.
Health officials are collaborating to identify individuals who may have been exposed, and efforts include contacting passengers on specific flights that may have been affected.
Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Symptoms typically manifest in two stages, beginning with fever, runny nose, red eyes, and cough. The second stage may include a rash on the face that spreads to the rest of the body. Measles patients are contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after.
Individuals who may have been exposed should monitor symptoms until January 25 and isolate if symptoms develop. VDH recommends notifying healthcare providers about potential measles exposure and encourages those who received two doses of the measles vaccine or were born before 1957 to take no additional action, as they are considered protected.
For more information or assistance, individuals can contact VDH by phone at (804) 864-8140 or via email at [email protected]. Additional details are available online on the VDH website.