Maryland Department of Health Fourth Measles Case Confirmed in Maryland

April 19, 2019

Media Contact:

Brittany Fowler, Deputy Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-1368

Fourth Measles Case Confirmed in Maryland

Possible Public Exposures at Location in Pikesville; Outbreak Localized to Zip Codes 21208, 21209 and 21215

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has confirmed a fourth measles case in a Maryland resident. The MDH wants to inform anyone who visited 4000 Old Court Rd in Pikesville on Tuesday, April 16 from 9:15 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. that they may have been exposed to measles. Individuals who may have been exposed at additional locations are being notified directly.

Measles cases in Maryland have been localized to a small geographic area within zip codes 21208, 21209 and 21215.

“While the outbreak is currently localized to a small area of the state, the best way to prevent measles in Maryland, or anywhere people might travel, is through vaccination,” said Deputy Secretary for Public Health Frances B. Phillips, RN, MHA. “We continue to encourage all Marylanders to get vaccinated or check with their health care providers to ensure they and their families are up-to-date on vaccinations.”

Maryland case count information and a list of all of the public exposure locations can be found on the MDH site here.

The MDH recommends the following for people who might have been exposed to measles:

If you are healthy and know you have had two doses of MMR vaccine, you do not need to take any additional actions

If your immune system is currently weakened by disease or medications, even if you have received two doses of MMR vaccine, call your health care provider right away and tell them you might have been exposed to measles as you might need a medication called immune globulin
If you know you have NOT received two doses of MMR vaccine, or if you aren’t sure whether or not you have received two doses of MMR vaccine, call your health care provider right away to determine next steps since you might need a dose of MMR vaccine or a medication called immune globulin
Monitor for possible symptoms of measles, such as fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and rash, and call your health care provider before visiting their office so they can make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting other patients and medical office staff at risk

Measles is a contagious vaccine-preventable viral infection which is easily spread to unvaccinated persons through coughing, sneezing and secretions from the mouth. The measles virus may remain in the air for up to two hours. Measles symptoms typically develop 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus but can develop as soon as seven days or as long as 21 days after exposure. Early symptoms of measles are fever more than 101F, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes. Usually, one to four days after the early symptoms, a red rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. A person with measles is contagious beginning four days before the rash appears until four days after the rash begins.

Those who are most at risk of complications from measles infection include pregnant women, infants less than one year old and those who are immune compromised.

If you or your family member needs MMR vaccine, first check with your health care provider. If your health care provider does not have MMR vaccine available, you can reach out to your pharmacist to see if they carry it. In Maryland, a pharmacist may administer any vaccines included in the CDC's recommended Immunization Schedule to individuals ages 11 to 17 who have a prescription. For those age 18 years or older, prescriptions are not required to administer vaccines as long as they are one of the adult vaccines listed by the CDC. For information about pricing and insurance reimbursement, check with your pharmacist and insurance provider.

Additional information is available on the MDH website at https://health.maryland.gov/measles.

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement. Stay connected at http://www.twitter.com/MDHealthDept and http://www.facebook.com/MarylandDHMH.

Marylanders in need of treatment for substance use disorders can locate treatment facilities at http://goo.gl/nIfGm0. Individuals can call 211 and press 1, or text their zip code to 898-211, to speak with crisis call specialists. For information related to fighting addiction in Maryland, visit http://goo.gl/KvEzQw.