Warning! Measles Outbreak in Philly

The City of Philadelphia has confirmed six areas where individuals may have been potentially exposed to measles recently. The increase in cases has been predominantly among those who are unvaccinated, as confirmed in a recent press release. The first location was disclosed shortly before Christmas, with an additional five announced recently.

Since late December, there have been four official measles diagnoses and potentially two more unconfirmed instances. The rise in measles exposure was linked to a confirmed patient who ignored quarantine directions and attended a city daycare.

In these six places, there's a risk of exposure to this highly infectious disease. Philadelphia's Health Department asserted on Thursday that if you visited any of these places on the mentioned dates, you might have been exposed to measles.

People born prior to 1957, those who have previously had measles, or those who have received two doses of measles-containing vaccine and are not immunocompromised are considered immune to the virus. No action is needed even if these groups were present in the affected buildings on the given dates.

The health officials advised unimmunized individuals, including infants between 12 and 15 months who typically are not vaccinated yet, to alert healthcare providers before arrival if they visited the areas on the dates stated. They should plan to quarantine based on healthcare provider's directions or follow roll-out quarantine dates.

Symptoms of measles typically include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red/watery eyes, or conjunctivitis, and may appear one or two weeks after infection. The disease can progress to severe conditions like pneumonia, brain infection, and death in some instances. The extremely safe and effective MMR vaccine, which promotes immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella, is important for preventing measles infection.