D.C. resident went to several areas in Washington area while contagious with measles, officials say
by Brad Matthews · The Washington TimesA person with measles traveled to several places in the Washington area while contagious, regional health agencies said, and people could have been exposed.
The patient is a District of Columbia resident, according to DC Health, and the individual had traveled abroad before going through the area, the Virginia Department of Health said Friday.
Per those two agencies and the Maryland Department of Health, people in the following places and on the following modes of transit at certain times late last month could have been exposed to measles:
— at Washington Dulles International Airport’s concourse B, on transportation between the concourse and baggage claim and in the baggage claim area between 10:30 p.m. on April 23 and 1:30 a.m. on April 24
— at the New Hampshire Business Center at 6495 New Hampshire Avenue in Hyattsville between 12-6:30 p.m. on April 24
— on a Metrobus going on the M60 route northbound to the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on April 24, between 7:10-9:30 p.m. last Saturday, between 6:25-8:45 p.m. on Sunday and 8-10 a.m. on Monday
— on a Metrobus going on the M60 route southbound to the Fort Totten Metrorail station between 4-6 p.m. on April 24, 8:30-11 a.m. last Saturday, 7:30-10 a.m. on Sunday and 4:50-7 p.m. on Monday
— on the Metrorail on the Green line going from Fort Totten to L’Enfant Plaza and then transferring to a Blue Line train headed towards Downtown Largo between 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. last Saturday
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— on the Metrorail on the Green line going from Fort Totten to L’Enfant Plaza and then transferring to an Orange line train headed towards New Carrollton between 7:50-10:50 a.m. Sunday
— on the Metrorail on the Orange line going from Minnesota Avenue to L’Enfant Plaza and then transferring to a Green line train headed to Greenbelt between 6:20-9 p.m. last Saturday and 5:15-8:15 p.m. last Sunday
— on the Metrorail Red line going from Fort Totten towards Shady Grove between 5-7:15 p.m. on Monday
The measles virus stays alive in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person has traveled through a given area, the Maryland Department of Health said.
If someone was exposed and contracted measles, they will start showing symptoms. including fevers of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or more, watery red eyes, a runny nose and a cough between one to two weeks after exposure. A rash shows up about three to five days after the other symptoms start, beginning with the face and spreading to the rest of the body, DC Health said.
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People with measles are considered contagious between four days before the rash appears to four days after it appears.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.