Health officials said Tuesday they were investigating a sixth case of measles in Los Angeles County residents, while Orange County health officials confirmed the county's first case of 2019.
Los Angeles County
The sixth case occurred in a LA County resident after international travel and is not related to earlier reported cases, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a news release. There are five non-resident cases that traveled through the county, officials said.
The majority of the victims were unvaccinated.
Public Health urges residents, especially those who travel internationally and those who have not been fully immunized against measles, to get the measles immunization.
The following locations have been identified as potential measles exposures:
● LAX, Tom Bradley International Terminal, Gate 218 on April 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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● Fox Auto Parks LAX Shuttle on April 23 from 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
● Home Depot, 44226 20th St W, Lancaster, CA 93534, on April 26 from 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Common symptoms associated with measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash which usually appears 10 to 21 days after exposure. Anyone who develops measles symptoms should contact their doctor by phone before visiting their doctor's office.
Infected people can infect those around them before they have symptoms and know they are infected, and the measles virus can be transmitted from one person to another up to four days before the onset of a rash, health officials said.
Orange County
Orange County's Health Care Agency confirmed its first case of measles in 2019, a female resident of Placentia in her 20s who reported recent international travel to one of many countries currently experiencing widespread measles activity.
The unnamed woman is considered infectious between April 23 and May 1 and is currently under voluntary isolation at home.
The HCA listed multiple potential exposure locations and times:
● 5 Hutton Centre Dr., Santa Ana, CA 92707
-April 23 – 25 from 7:45 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. daily
● St. Jude Emergency Department, 101 E. Valencia Mesa Dr., Fullerton, CA 92835
-April 27 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
● AMC Movie Theater, 1001 S. Lemon St., Fullerton, CA 92832
-April 25 from 11 p.m. – April 26 at 4 a.m.
Community members with questions related to measles or potential exposure are welcome to contact the HCA Health Referral Line at 1(800)-564-8448.
People who were in any of the locations listed were advised to:
-Review their vaccination history if they have not previously had measles; people who have not had measles or the measles vaccine are at higher risk after an exposure, so they should talk with a health care provider about receiving Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccination.
-Monitor themselves for illness with fever and/or an unexplained rash from 7 days to 21 days after their exposure (the time period when symptoms may develop); if symptoms develop, stay at home and call a health care provider immediately.
