A patient with measles visited the Disneyland Resort last week while contagious and could have possibly exposed others to the disease the L.A. County Department of Public Health has warned, according to KTLA.
What’s Happening:
- A patient with measles was at Disneyland on October 16th, between 9:15 A.M. and 8:35 P.M. as well as at a Los Angeles Starbucks Coffee Shop near where the 405 meets the 10 in the Palms area at 3006 S. Sepulveda Blvd. sometime between 7:50 AM and 10:00 AM.
- The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has warned that anyone who visited Disneyland or the Starbucks shop during those time periods could be at risk of developing measles for up to 21 days after being exposed.
- Anyone who believes they may have been exposed should review their immunization records, reach out to their health care provider as soon as possible and watch out for symptoms, including fever and an unexplained rash.
- Those who experience symptoms should stay home and call their doctor immediately, health officials said.
- The disease is considered among the most contagious viruses in the world. About 90% of people who have never been immunized experience the symptoms seven to 21 days after exposure, authorities said.
- You may recall that back in August a tourist from New Zealand visited several locations in Southern California while she too was contagious with measles. 19 cases of measles have been confirmed throughout Los Angeles County and 11 cases from non-residents who were traveling through, according to health officials, most of which were among patients who were not immunized.
What They’re Saying:
- Nichole Quick, Health Officer: "The measles virus can remain in an environment for several hours, so when we list public exposure sites we take that into consideration. Individuals that were in those potential sites while that person was infection could be at risk of being exposed.”
- Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer: “For those who are not protected, measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that initially causes fever, cough, red, watery eyes, and, finally, a rash. Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know have it. The MMR immunization is a very effective measure to protect yourself and to prevent the unintentional spread of this potentially serious infection to others.”