The Monroe County Department of Public Health is warning the community about a potential measles exposure after an individual who tested positive for the disease traveled through the Louise M. Slaughter Rochester Train Station on Aug. 29.
The individual, who is not a Monroe County resident, traveled through the station at 320 Central Ave. while en route to a final destination, according to the health department.
Risk of illness considered low
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread through direct contact with nasal or throat secretions from infected people.
The health department said the risk of illness from this exposure is considered low because many people in the community have immunity through vaccination or previous infection.
Those at highest risk include
pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised, infants and adults who have not been vaccinated or have not had measles.
What to watch for
Symptoms typically appear 10 to 12 days after exposure but can take as long as 21 days to develop.
Early symptoms can include a runny nose, cough, slight fever, reddened or light-sensitive eyes and a fever that can rise as high as 103 to 105 degrees. Small bluish-white spots surrounded by a reddish area may also appear inside the mouth.
A red, blotchy rash generally develops during the second stage of the illness, beginning on the face and spreading downward to the hands and feet.
Anyone who was at the Rochester train station on Aug. 29 should monitor for symptoms through Saturday, Sept. 19.
Those who do not know their vaccination status should contact their health care provider or the health department to determine next steps.
What to do if you become sick
Anyone who becomes ill should seek medical care immediately but should contact their health care provider or an emergency department before arriving to avoid exposing others.
The health department also advises people who become ill not to go to work, school or other public places and to notify their local health department about the possible measles exposure.
Monroe County residents can call the Monroe County Department of Public Health at 585-753-5555. People who live elsewhere should contact the health department in the county where they live.
The health department said the best way to prevent measles is vaccination and recommends two doses of the MMR vaccine for protection.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Monroe County warns of possible measles exposure at Rochester train station
