Possible Measles Exposure At Midway Airport, Delnor Hospital

ACROSS ILLINOIS – The Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) said an Illinois resident with a now-confirmed diagnosis of measles was on a Friday, Feb. 22 flight that arrived at Chicago Midway Airport's Concourse B. Police said the resident was contagious when they arrived at the airport and hadn't been vaccinated for the measles.

While IDPH said its investigating the isolated case along with local health departments, people may have been exposed to measles if they were at the airport between 9 p.m. and midnight on Feb. 22.

IDPH said the patient also went for treatment at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital's emergency department on Sunday, Feb. 24. People who were in the emergency department between 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. may have been exposed, and people who were in the hospital from 4 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. In addition, people who were in the hospital from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 may have also been exposed. According to health officials, these are the only known public locations in Illinois where the measles exposures took place.

According to IDPH, local health departments are working to notify Illinois residents who were identified as being potentially exposed on that person's flights.

IDPH said this most recent case isn't related to the four cases reported in Champaign County earlier this month, adding that the unvaccinated individual traveled overseas to countries where measles is regularly found.

It’s important to make sure you are up to date on all routine, recommended vaccinations, including the MMR vaccine, before traveling abroad, according to IDPH.

Most people are vaccinated routinely in childhood and are not at high risk, but those who haven't been vaccinated are of most concern.

Measles cases across Illinois:

• 2nd Recent Measles Case In Champaign-Urbana: Health District
• Measles Case Reported In Champaign-Urbana By Health District
• Measles Outbreak Hits Illinois

If infected, you could develop symptoms as late as March 20, 2019.

IDPH said symptoms of measles include:

• Rash
• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes

If you develop symptoms of measles, the health department recommends you call or email a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department, as special arrangements can be made for your evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.

Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes, and people can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person. It can also cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), according to IDPH.

“Measles is highly contagious," IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. "However, two doses of measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective in preventing measles. We urge everyone to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations, especially if you are traveling to other countries where measles is regularly found. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it protects others around you who are too young to get the vaccine or cannot receive it for medical reasons.”

More:

• 8 Mumps Cases Identified At 2 McHenry County Locations: MCDH
• Nearly 200 Students At South Middle School Call In Sick
• Three More Mumps Cases Reported In School District

Several cases of mumps were recently identified at two McHenry County locations. The McHenry County Department of Health said it's working closely with the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH), McHenry County Correctional Facility and the Crystal Lake church in the investigation involving all cases.

On Wednesday, more than 20 percent of students at South Middle School in Arlington Heights called in sick due to flu-like symptoms.

More information from IDPH:

• vaccine recommendations and requirements for your travel destination
• Measles page at dph.illinois.gov