Measles Outbreak on Flight to Denver Sickens 3, Including Young Child

Yahoo

30-05-2025

Three people have been confirmed to have measles, their illness connected to exposure on a Turkish Airlines flight that landed in Denver on May 13, officials confirmed
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued a list of 'known exposure locations' where the sickened individuals were present while contagious
Officials urge that people protect themselves and their families with the MMR vaccine; Three people in the U.S. have died from measles so far this yearThree people have been sickened by measles due to exposure from an international flight that landed in Denver, officials have confirmed.
An out-of-state traveler who was infectious on the flight, a vaccinated adult and a child younger than five have the highly infectious disease, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a May 29 statement.
All three were on board Turkish Airlines flight 201, which landed in Denver on May 13.
Health officials shared a list of six 'known exposure locations' — where the three individuals with measles visited while infectious — that include restaurants, a gym and shops; As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control points out, the disease is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and the virus stays in the air for up to two hours.
'If you were at these locations during the exposure window and develop symptoms, immediately contact your health care provider by phone,' officials said in their statement, which cautions people who were at these locations to 'consider avoiding public gatherings or high-risk settings.'
Symptoms to watch out for include 'fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a characteristic rash.' These can begin up to 21 days after exposure. While officials note that measles is 'highly contagious' and can often lead to dire health outcomes, it is preventable.
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'The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides strong protection. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community,' Colorado officials say, noting that it's 'rare' for vaccinated people to develop measles, but when they do, 'their symptoms are usually milder, and they are less likely to spread it to others.'
This outbreak is part of an ongoing rise in reports of measles exposures in the U.S. In March, there was exposure on an Amtrak train to Washington, D.C. In May, someone attended a Shakira concert in New Jersey while infectious with measles.
'Measles isn't just a little rash,' the CDC says. It also comes with a high fever, cough, runny nose and may lead to pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can cause hearing loss and cognitive disabilities.
It can also be fatal: There have been three deaths in the U.S. this year from measles, the CDC says, and 1,088 confirmed cases of the disease.
Read the original article on People