Three hundred or more people may have been exposed to measles after an infected child visited a California hospital in early March.
The infected child allegedly visited San Joaquin Urgent Care and the Emergency Department at UC Davis on March 5, and exposed around 300 people to the highly contagious illness, according to a statement from El Dorado County authorities. Some of those potentially exposed were not at either facility but within the El Dorado County community.
“We will be receiving a list of those who were confirmed at the UC Davis Emergency Department at that time and will be contacting those individuals for further instructions,” El Dorado public health officer Matthew Minson said in the statement. “Please do not go directly to the emergency Department as that could increase spread and put others at risk.”
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Measles spreads through coughing, sneezing, and even those who breathe air contaminated with the virus or an infected surface, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s believed that one carrier of the disease can infect up to 90% of those they come into contact with who have no immune resistance.
If untreated, measles can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and death, the CDC noted. (RELATED: Hundreds Reportedly Sickened In Raleigh, North Carolina, Amid Disease Outbreak)
In January, the parents of a child diagnosed with measles decided to leave them at a daycare in Philadelphia, leading to an unknown number of secondary infections. Three people at a healthcare facility where the child was treated contracted the disease.