Allegheny County Health Dept. Warns Of Additional Locations For Potential Measles Exposures
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The health department has new information on where Allegheny County residents may have been exposed to individuals who have been diagnosed with measles.
A total of five cases of measles have been confirmed in the area so far this year. Health officials released details on four of those cases Thursday.
Those four cases involve one family. One individual in that family is an Allegheny County resident who is unvaccinated. The three other individuals, two children and one adult, are visiting the country from overseas. The children are unvaccinated, and the adult is reportedly vaccinated.
There may have been public exposures to these individuals at the following locations and times:
- Milky Way restaurant (2120 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217)
- Wednesday, April 17: 1-4 p.m.
- Red White & Blue Thrift Store (935 Ohio River Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15202)
- Wednesday, April 24: 11:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
- National Aviary (700 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
- Sunday, April 28: 12:30-5:30 p.m.
These exposures are in addition to the originally announced exposures at the following locations and times:
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Tuesday, April 16: 7:30-10 a.m.
- Enterprise Rent-a-Car (2260 Babcock Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237)
- Wednesday, May 1, 2-5 p.m.
If an individual who is not immune to measles was exposed at the airport, they could get a rash between April 23 and May 7.
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The health department previously released details on the first individual in Allegheny County who was diagnosed with measles.
That individual traveled internationally about two weeks before becoming ill, and this case is not linked to any ongoing measles outbreak in the United States.
The health department said the resident was potentially contagious starting on April 25 and potential exposures may have occurred at the following locations and times:
- Giant Eagle Market District (5550 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232)
- Friday, April 26, 2019: 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Sunday, April 28, 2019: 2:45 p.m. – 5 p.m.
- ALDI (5631 Baum Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206)
- Friday, April 26, 2019: 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
The Health Department says anyone who was exposed at either of these locations would start showing symptoms between now and May 20.
The people most at risk to catch measles are infants under the age of 1 who are too young to have received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, individuals who refused vaccination or cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, and individuals from parts of the world where there is low vaccination coverage or circulating measles.
Anyone who is susceptible to measles or who becomes ill with symptoms of measles is urged to contact their primary care provider immediately, but they are asked to not go directly to an office, urgent care center or emergency room to avoid exposing other individuals.
Measles is spreads through coughing, sneezing or other contact with the mucus or saliva of an infected person. Symptoms include rash, high fever, cough and red, watery eyes.
Pregnant women should contact their doctor about their immune status. Health care providers who suspect measles should call the Allegheny County Health Department.
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control makes the following recommendations for vaccinations:
- Children 12 months or older should have two doses, the first at age 12 to 15 months and a second dose between 4 to 6 years.
- Healthcare personnel, college students, and international travelers should have two doses of MMR.
- Adults born during or after 1957 should have at least one dose of MMR or documented evidence of disease. Adults born before 1957 are considered immune.
- For international travel, infants 6 to 11 months should have one dose of MMR, and children 12 months of age and older should receive 2 doses of MMR, separated by at least 28 days.
The measles vaccine is available at the Health Department's immunization clinic located on the fourth floor of 425 First Ave. in Downtown Pittsburgh. The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It's open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
