Measles outbreak in Southern California: Everything you need to know

Friday, April 26, 2019
LOS ANGELES -- Reported measles cases at locations across the Los Angeles area have residents on high alert, with an infected person visiting popular spots, including the Grove.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the United States now has the highest number of measles cases in a year since measles were eliminated in 2000, with more than 700 measles cases reported in 22 states this year. Of those, the CDC says more than 70% were unvaccinated.
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Los Angeles public health officials declared a measles outbreak in the county, making it the latest metro area to be struck by the illness.

Find information on everything from where the cases have been reported to vaccination locations below.

Mapping the cases



LOS ANGELES COUNTY



  • THE GROVE

  • A person associated with the latest case visited popular tourist spots, including the Grove, the Los Angeles Farmer's Market, nearby shops and stores and the Los Angeles International Airport. People who traveled through those areas on April 27 are at risk for the next 21 days of developing measles.

  • LAX


  • An LAX traveler marked the sixth confirmed measles case in L.A. County this year. The patient traveled abroad through Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on April 23 between 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., rode on a Fox Auto Parks shuttle on that day, and visited the Home Depot on 20th Street in Lancaster three days later, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. The patient got measles after traveling internationally, and the case is unrelated to any of the other cases announced this year.



    County health officials warned of three possible measles exposures in the past two months. A passenger with the illness passed through Terminal 7 on April 3. That person arrived in the late morning and left that night through Terminal 8. Another traveler with the viral infection passed through the airport in Terminal 7 on March 5. Another person with measles arrived at the airport on Feb. 21, traveling from Terminal B to Delta Terminal 3.

    Health officials do not believe LAX is under threat of a measles outbreak.

  • Long Beach


  • Long Beach officials said a person infected with measles went through the Long Beach Airport the morning of March 30 and April 7.
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    Health officials said anyone in the airport at the time could have been exposed, but there was no continuing risk of exposure.



    The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services confirmed a case of measles in a resident of that city. That patient was described as a vaccinated graduate student at UC Irvine who has not traveled internationally. The Orange County Health Care Agency released a list of locations where people may have been exposed to the viral disease.

  • UCLA


  • Los Angeles County health officials said 28 UCLA students are quarantined on campus or self-isolating off campus as of Sunday. That number is significantly lower than when the quarantine peaked at 129 last week. The student with measles attended classes at Franz Hall and Boelter Hall on April 2, 4 and 9 while contagious, according to UCLA.

    "We expect that those notified will be quarantined for approximately 24-48 hours until their proof of immunity is established. A few may need to remain in quarantine for up to seven days. We have arranged for those who live on campus to be cared for at UCLA while they are quarantined," UCLA said in a statement.

    MORE: Measles outbreak - many of those susceptible to infection are college age

  • CSULA


  • CSU Los Angeles officials said Monday that a "majority" of the 183 people under individual quarantine orders and 445 people under a blanket quarantine order had been cleared. An unknown number of people were under a blanket quarantine order and asked to self-report if they were at CSU Los Angeles' Library North on April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.



    The university did not give a definitive number but said the library staff, faculty employees and student assistants were cleared to return to work over the weekend. The library was open and operating on expanded hours.

    A person with measles visited CSU Los Angeles' Library North on April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. As a result, university officials said 127 staff employees and 71 student employees were sent home under quarantine orders and told to stay home to avoid contact with others as much as possible.



    "The Department of Public Health has determined that there is no known current risk related to measles at the library at this time," CSU Los Angeles said in a statement.

    The Department of Public Health has concluded that there is currently no known risk related to measles at the Library North at this time.

  • Restaurants


  • A person with measles visited El Pollo Loco Restaurant on Verdugo Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge on April 11, while another individual went to El Sauz Tacos on San Fernando Road in Glendale on April 13.
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ORANGE COUNTY



  • A woman in her 20s, who is a resident of Placentia, reported recent travel to Vietnam, one of the many countries experiencing widespread measles activity. Officials say the woman is a rare case because she was fully vaccinated.

    The unidentified woman is considered infectious between the dates of April 23 and May 1. Authorities said the woman went to see "Avengers: Endgame" on April 25 at 11 p.m. at the AMC Movie Theater on Lemon Street in Fullerton.


  • A baby under the age of 1 contracted measles in the second confirmed O.C. case.

    The child, who is too young to have been vaccinated, was hospitalized, the Orange County Health Care Agency said in a statement, adding that the infant has no history of international travel.

    The young patient was admitted to the emergency department at Children's Hospital of Orange County while infectious, the HCA said. According to the agency, others may have been exposed to measles in that area of the medical center.


Where to get vaccinated


In Los Angeles County, 14 public health clinics offer free vaccines for uninsured and under-insured individuals.

CSULA students can receive the vaccine from the Student Health Center or their healthcare provider. Faculty and staff who were not in university's Library North during the time the student who contracted measles was there are asked to contact their healthcare provider to receive the vaccine.

Students at UCLA who are unsure if they received the standard two-vaccine series are urged by the university to visit the Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center. Faculty and staff are asked to contact their medical provider.

Southern California measles outbreak: Doctors answer your questions


Symptoms



Measles is highly contagious and can stay in the air for up to two hours after an ill person coughs or sneezes, and can stay on surfaces for several hours, health officials say. About 90 percent of people who are exposed and not immune to the illness become sick 7 to 21 days after exposure.

Measles symptoms include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin, the CDC says a rash breaks out which appears as flat red spots on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says schools are "high-risk setting for exposure due to potentially frequent and prolonged contact."

For more information on measles, go to publichealth.lacounty.gov.
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