Federal health officials said Tuesday that three children recently hospitalized with measles in Colorado traveled from New Zealand to Los Angeles International Airport before arriving in Denver last week.
Public health officials in Denver and Los Angeles have warned travelers who passed through the cities’ airports on Dec. 11 that they are at risk for measles after the children tested positive for the highly contagious disease.
The warnings in Denver and Los Angeles involve the same airline passengers, said Scott Pauley, spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It’s very concerning for people to be in close proximity of measles,” he said.
The children, who are visiting the state, did not have the MMR — or measles, mumps and rubella — vaccine. They are receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
It’s unclear how many people are at risk of exposure to measles.
The Tri-County Health Department said individuals who visited Denver International Airport between 1:15 and 5:45 p.m on Dec. 11 are at risk of measles. People who were at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Anschutz Campus Emergency Department between 1 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 may also have been exposed.
Measles symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a rash. The illness can lead to pneumonia and swelling of the brain, according to the CDC.
Health officials said if a person has symptoms that could be measles they should call their doctor or a hospital first.
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