Potential measles exposure in Philadelphia, Montgomery County sparks warning
PHILADELPHIA - Health officials are warning that people may have been exposed to the measles virus in the Philadelphia area.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Montgomery County Office of Public Health and Pennsylvania Department of Health are alerting people who have been at these locations:
- CVS Pharmacy at 10901 Bustleton Avenue on May 15 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Holy Redeemer Hospital Emergency Department from 11:30 a.m. May 16 to 12:30 a.m. May 17
- Medical-surgical Unit of Holy Redeemer Hospital from 10:30 p.m. May 16 to 12:30 p.m. May 17
"What we're seeing is an uptick, a big increase in measles cases because there are people who are not getting their kids vaccinated. So what your'e seeing is a larger number per year of measles cases and this is well documented,"Dr. Mike Cirigliano said. "You've got to do the right thing."
The measles virus is known to be extremely contagious, with one person being able to infect 9–10 people even after they leave the area for a couple of hours.
"What they're worried about here is the fact that it really can take some time for you to develop symptoms after contact; after exposure," Cirigliano said.
The window in which symptoms could begin to surface is 7–10 days, according to health officials.
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"We're entering that time when if someone was exposed to a patient with measles, and they're at risk, they haven't been vaccinated, they can develop this viral syndrome which can be very, very serious, especially in very young children," Cirigliano said.
Health officials say to look out for a high fever, pink eye conjunctivitis, cough and a rash.
"Even if you were vaccinated, and you're planning on going off to college, and you're filing out those forms, it might be a good time to check titers. That's a blood test to see if you have immunity and make sure you're protected."
Measles may begin as a rash but doctors are warning that it could lead to encephalitis, pneumonia, and even death.