Two Maryland residents who recently traveled internationally have tested positive for measles, health officials said Thursday. The cases involve Prince George’s County residents and are unrelated to previous cases in Maryland or ongoing outbreaks in other states.
The Maryland Department of Health and Prince George’s County health officials are working to identify people who may have been exposed. Officials are notifying passengers from specific flights and others who visited certain locations.
People who were at the following locations during the listed times may have been exposed:
- Washington Dulles International Airport: Concourse A, transport to the International Arrivals Building, and baggage claim area (March 5, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
- Kaiser Permanente Largo Medical Center: Various dates and times between March 5 and March 17
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: Terminal shuttle bus (March 14, 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
- Washington Metro Area Transit: Yellow and Silver Line trains (March 14, 12:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.)
- Passport Toyota in Suitland: (March 17, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
Child with measles 2024 |
Photo | Public Health Image Library (PHIL)
Health officials urge people who visited these locations to check their vaccination status and watch for measles symptoms. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads.
Anyone exposed should monitor for symptoms for 21 days. Those who develop symptoms should avoid public places and contact a health care provider before visiting a medical facility. Non-immune individuals exposed on March 15 or March 17 may qualify for post-exposure treatments.
Measles spreads through coughing and sneezing. A person is contagious from four days before a rash appears until four days after it begins. People vaccinated against measles or born before 1957 are generally considered immune.
CDC Vaccination Recommendations
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that people without proof of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella get vaccinated. A person is considered immune if they meet any of these criteria:
- They have written documentation showing they received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
- They have a lab test confirming immunity.
- They have had a lab-confirmed case of measles in the past.
- They were born before 1957.
For healthcare workers, birth before 1957 is usually considered proof of immunity. However, healthcare facilities may still recommend vaccination if there is no lab-confirmed immunity or previous infection.
Healthcare providers should only accept written vaccination records as proof of immunity, not verbal reports.
Virginia residents with exposure concerns can call 804-363-2704 or email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov. Washington, D.C., residents can call 844-493-2652 or email DOH.Epi@dc.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before international trips. In some cases, infants as young as six months can receive the vaccine before travel.
Measles cases remain rare in Maryland, with one case earlier this year, one in 2024, and one in 2023. Maryland reported no cases from 2020 to 2022.
