Someone with a confirmed case of measles visited a hospital in Lynchburg on Monday, and the Virginia Department of Health wants to identify people who might have been exposed to the virus.
The patient visited the Centra Lynchburg General Hospital emergency department, 1901 Tate Springs Road, between 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Monday, according to a news release from VDH. The person is a resident of another state and recently traveled internationally; the health department said it will not provide any additional information about the patient.
Anyone who was at the emergency department during that time frame should complete this short survey, and public health officials will follow up if additional information is needed, VDH said. They should also make sure they’re up to date with the recommended number of measles (MMR) vaccinations and should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days.
The most likely time they would become sick would be between March 9 and March 23, VDH said.
Anyone who isn’t fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles should contact their health care provider or their local health department immediately, VDH said. They may qualify for post-exposure treatments, but the time frame for those treatments is narrow.
As of Feb. 19, VDH had identified 10 cases of measles this year, according to the department’s measles web page. Five cases were reported last year.
Measles is highly contagious, but most people in Virginia have immunity to the virus through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low, VDH said.