Highly-contagious measles case confirmed in Contra Costa Co., health officials say

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Health officials in Contra Costa County have confirmed a measles infection in a person who was mingling in public places for about a week before being discovered.

Contra Costa Health is notifying the public about the infection and said people may have been exposed at several locations in Walnut Creek and Lafayette between Dec. 17 and Dec. 24."

The infected person was at the Anthropologie store on South Main Street in Walnut Creek on Dec. 17 or Dec. 19, at the Macy's and ALO stores at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek and the Apple Store on South Main Street in Walnut Creek on Dec. 18.

They were also at STAT Med on Mount Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette on Dec. 21 and the Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Emergency Department on South Main Street on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24.

"People who were at these locations during the dates listed above may be at risk of developing measles, especially if unvaccinated, pregnant or immunocompromised," county health officials said in a news release Monday. "Measles can develop seven to 21 days after exposure. If you were at these locations during these times, you should confirm with your health care provider that you have been fully vaccinated against measles or have had measles infection in the past."

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can linger in the air or on surfaces for over an hour after a contagious person leaves the area, according to health officials.

Also, someone can spread the virus even before they develop symptoms, which include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash.

People who have not done so already are encouraged to get two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine.

"A large majority" of county residents have been given the MMR vaccine, which lasts a lifetime and greatly reduces one's vulnerability to the disease, county officials said.

"Contra Costa County has over a 95% vaccination rate," said Dr. Meera Sreenivasan, Deputy Health Officer for Contra Costa County to ABC7's Suzanne Phan.

As of Dec. 23, 2,012 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 24 of those being in California.

Research from Stanford Medicine indicates that measles may be making a comeback in the U.S. because childhood vaccination rates have been falling nationwide.

Stanford researchers say, "Both California and Texas were higher risk, even after accounting for larger population size, because vaccination rates in both have dropped and there's a lot of travel to those states."

Health care experts say the risk is still low in the Bay Area but they urge everyone to get vaccinated.

More information about measles can be found at Contra Costa County Health Department's website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Late Monday, Kaiser Permanente released a statement to ABC7, saying in part: "Kaiser Permanente's first priority is the safety and care of our members, patients, staff, and the communities we serve. Recently, a patient who was seen at the Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Emergency Department on December 23 and 24 was confirmed to have measles. We are working with the Contra Costa Health Department and are identifying and contacting persons potentially exposed, to determine best next steps based on each individual's care."

Bay City News' Kiley Russell contributed to this report