Arlington County officials investigate potential measles exposure

ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. ( DC News Now ) — Health officials are warning residents in Arlington that they might have been exposed to measles while grocery shopping last week.

The Arlington County Public Health Division (ACPHD) said a person with a confirmed case had visited a Harris Teeter while contagious. Though the person is from another state, ACPHD issued a warning Friday that people who visited the store might have been exposed.

Listed below are the date, times, and location of the potential exposure site associated with this case of measles:

• Harris Teeter: 624B N Glebe Rd., Arlington, Va. 22203, between noon and 4 p.m., on Mon., July 1

Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually appear in two stages, according to the ACPHD.

Stage 1: People have a fever of over 101 degrees, runny rose, watery red eyes and a cough. These symptoms usually start between one to two weeks after being exposed.

Stage 2: A rash begins to appear on the face and spread to the body beginning three to five days after symptoms start. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appears.

If you have not received a measles vaccine, you may be at risk of contracting the illness.

Anyone who was exposed and is at risk of developing measles should be on the lookout for symptoms until July 22, 2024.

If you notice symptoms, immediately isolate yourself by staying home and away from others, and contact your healthcare provider right away.

You should call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them you might have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the health department.

The ACPHD issued the following tips for those who might have been exposed:

• If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine or were born before 1957, you are protected and do not need to take any action.
• If you have received only one dose of a measles-containing vaccine, you are very likely to be protected and your risk of being infected with measles from any of these exposures is very low. However, to achieve complete immunity, contact your healthcare provider about getting a second vaccine dose.
• If you have an immunocompromising condition, please consult with your healthcare provider if you have questions or develop symptoms.

Though most Virginians above kindergarten age are fully vaccinated, infants younger than 12 months are too young to receive the vaccine. Those infants are very susceptible to infection if they have been exposed to someone with measles, ACPHD warned.

If you or your child have not yet been vaccinated, you should call the Arlington County Public Health Division or your healthcare provider to get the first of two doses as soon as possible. To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records from the VDH Immunization Record Request Form .

If you have any questions about this potential exposure, you are asked to contact the ACPHD Communicable Disease Programs at 703-228-5657.

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