The Maricopa County Department of Public Health reports a person with an infectious case of measles traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on June 10. Health officials are now trying to contact other travelers who may have been exposed.
The infected traveler was in the C and D concourses of Terminal 4 between 5 p.m. and midnight. Maricopa County Public Health is working with federal, state and airport officials to reach out to others who were in the airport at that time. Anyone who was on the same flight with the infected person will be contacted by their local public health authority.
“We want to identify any possible cases to prevent broader spread in the community,” said Dr. Nick Staab, Maricopa County Public Health chief medical officer.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. The virus can linger in the air up to two hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes. About 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’re asking people who were at the airport at this precise location at this time to know their risks,” Staab said. “So, know whether or not they are vaccinated. And if they are unvaccinated, to monitor for symptoms for up to 21 days from this exposure.”
Symptoms of measles may take one-to-three weeks to appear and include fever, cough, runny nose, and a raised, red, blotchy rash. Anyone who develops symptoms should self-isolate and contact their medical provider, Staab said.
“It is not an infection to take a risk with,” Staab said. “We are very fortunate to have a very safe and effective vaccine to prevent it.”
The CDC says vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of measles and says two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing the virus.
According to the CDC, nearly 1,200 people have been infected with measles across 35 states this year. About 95% of these cases have been among unvaccinated people, or people whose vaccination status is unknown. Three deaths have been linked to the ongoing U.S. outbreaks.
The first cases of measles in Arizona this year were reported earlier this month among four individuals in Navajo County.
