A new measles case has been confirmed in Philadelphia, and people may have been exposed earlier this week at two area hospitals, city health officials said Friday.
The case was confirmed in a person who had been traveling internationally, according to the Department of Public Health. It is not connected to the outbreak happening in Texas and other western states.
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People who were at the emergency department at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia on Sunday between 3:55 p.m. and 11:20 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus. Additional exposures may have taken place Tuesday between 6:05 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. at the emergency department of Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, Montgomery County.
Health officials said the case does not pose a threat to the general public.
"As vaccination rates across the country continue to drop, there are more and more opportunities for people who cannot be vaccinated to be exposed to this deadly disease," Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson said in a statement. "However, because Philadelphia has high rates of immunity against measles, we are hopeful that this case won't spread further. For us to keep that protection, it is critical for everyone who isn't already immune from measles and can be vaccinated, get vaccinated as soon as possible."
What to do if you were exposed
Unvaccinated people who were exposed to measles should quarantine for 21 days after their exposures and wear masks if they must leave their homes, health officials said. Masking lowers the chances of spreading the virus, but it does not completely prevent it, they said.
Health officials provided further instructions for unvaccinated people, depending on the timing of their exposures:
• At Holy Redeemer on Tuesday: Unvaccinated people are advised to get a dose of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine by the end of today. If they don't get vaccinated, health officials said, they should quarantine until April 29 and contact their health care providers.
• At Pennsylvania Hospital on Sunday: Unvaccinated people are advised to contact their health care providers and quarantine until April 27.
Vaccinated people and other protected people do not need to quarantine or take any precautions, health officials said. Protected people include those who previously have had measles and those born before 1957.
Exposed people who are pregnant and not immune from measles are advised to reach out to their health care providers. So are the parents of infants and people with weakened immune systems.
People who were exposed are urged to contact their health care providers if they develop measles symptoms through Sunday, April 27, if they were at Penn Hospital, or Tuesday, April 29, if they were at Holy Redeemer.
Measles symptoms
Early measles symptoms include a fever, runny nose, cough and puffy eyes, which are followed by a rash. People who have been infected are contagious for four days before and four days after a rash starts.
The measles virus spreads rapidly among people who aren't immune through droplets caused by sick people coughing and sneezing. It infects 9 of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed.
The illness can be fatal to infants, young children and people with weakened immune systems. Measles kills 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children it infects. It also can lead to brain infection or pneumonia.
How to get vaccinated
Though measles is highly contagious, the MMR vaccine is highly effective at preventing the disease. One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.
Children are advised to get their first doses when they are 12 to 15 months. Second doses are advised between ages 4 to 6.
Before traveling internationally, infants ages 6 to 11 months are advised to get a dose of the MMR vaccine, the CDC says. They should then get another dose at 12-15 months and a final dose between ages 4-6.
Before traveling, unvaccinated children and adults are advised to get an MMR vaccine dose immediately and then a second dose 28 days later, the CDC says.
Philadelphia residents can find information on how to get vaccinated on the Department of Public Health's website. The health department also offers vaccine recommendations for travelers. People who are unsure whether they've been vaccinated against measles can request vaccine records from the health department.
Measles in the U.S.
As of Thursday, there have been 712 confirmed measles cases and three deaths in the United States this year., according to the CDC. The vast majority — 97% — have been among unvaccinated people. Cases have been reported in 25 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Most of the measles cases are connected to an outbreak that began in Texas in January.
The 712 cases this year are the second-most the United States has seen since the disease was deemed eradicated here in 2000.
Philadelphia reported its first measles case of the year in March, several days after an unrelated case was confirmed in Montgomery County. Neither case was connected to the Texas outbreak.
