Visitors To Reston-Area Locations May Have Been Exposed to Measles

Virginia Department of Health officials say a person with measles may have visited several spots in the Reston and Herndon area last week, possibly exposing people to the illness.

The discovery of the person with measles came after health officials in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties confirmed last month that an infected person may have been contagious while visiting several area locations in the Chantilly and South Riding area between April 23 and May 1.

The second case has been confirmed in a person in close contact with the first case.

The latest exposures occurred between May 11 and May 15 at many locations from Fairfax County to Montgomery County, Md. Health officials said people who have received at least one dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are at very low risk of being infected with measles from any of these exposures.

Among the Reston-area locations:

• Starbucks, 2407 Centreville Rd., Herndon. Monday, May 12 between 7:10 and 10:20 a.m.
• Nysmith School for the Gifted, 13625 Eds Dr., Herndon. Tuesday, May 13 between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m, and same hours on Wednesday, May 14.
• Life Time Athletic, 1757 Business Center Dr., Reston. Wednesday, May 14 between 8:20 a.m and 12:45 p.m.

For additional locations in surrounding areas, see the Virginia Department of Health website.

Measles is a highly contagious illness that is spread through coughing, sneezing, and contact with secretions from the nose, mouth, and throat of an infected individual, say Virginia Department of Health officials.

Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes and a cough. The second stage begins around the third to seventh day when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads over the entire body. Based on these dates of exposure, anyone infected with the measles virus may develop symptoms as late as June 5.

For people who are not vaccinated and who may have been exposed, the VDH offers this advice.

• Preventive treatment may be available for those who were at the exposure sites on May 15 only. The preventive treatment is particularly important for high risk individuals (e.g., pregnant women, infants under the age of one, and immunosuppressed people). However, this preventive treatment must be administered today, May 21, to be effective. Please call 1-877-275-8343 as soon as possible to be assessed for exposure risk.
• If you have never received MMR vaccine, you may be at risk of measles. Monitor your health and if you notice symptoms of measles (see below), immediately isolate yourself in your home to limit your exposure to others and call your primary health care provider to discuss further care.
• Call ahead before going to the doctor’s office or the emergency room and tell them that you were exposed to measles.