State health officials warn Maryland visitor tested positive for measles

Maryland state health officials warned of possible measles exposure after someone visiting the state tested positive in Cecil County this week.

According to the state Department of Health, people who visited ChristianaCare Union Hospital’s Emergency Department from 3 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. on Thursday could have been exposed.

State health officials suggest those exposed should monitor themselves for symptoms, such as a cough, fever, runny nose, red rash or runny nose, over the next 21 days. Should anyone feel any of these symptoms, public health officials say they should contact their healthcare provider.

The warning comes as 12 Marylanders have tested positive for measles amid a record-shattering year for the disease across the country. Two Southern Marylanders and a Central Marylander tested positive for measles last week. A week before them, five people in Carroll County contracted measles after traveling to an area that’s having an outbreak.

Maryland’s first case of measles was that of a Baltimore-area resident in April. Two others tested positive a week after that and, in June, a Marylander contracted measles after traveling internationally.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 2,355 cases of measles across the U.S.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads when those infected breathe, cough or sneeze. Officials from the Maryland Department of Health recommend everyone eligible get fully vaccinated against measles, which included doses at 12-15 months and 4-6 years old.