A traveler stopping through the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on a May 15 connecting flight has tested positive for measles, according to a news release from the Tarrant County Public Health Department.
As a result, other travelers may have been exposed to the measles virus if they were traveling through the DFW Airport on May 15 in the following areas and times:
- Terminal D customs area from 5:15-7:45 p.m.;
- The Skylink (otherwise known as the tram between the terminals) from 5:45-8 p.m.; and
- Terminal A in the area of Gate 8 from 6-10:50 p.m.
If travelers believe they may have been exposed, the health department advised they should check their immunization records or contact their health care provider to determine if they need to be immunized.
Those at the greatest risk of contracting the virus are people who have not been vaccinated, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals, the news release said.
Measles is highly contagious, the health department said. It passes from individuals carrying the virus when they exhale or cough to others via airborne droplets.
Measles can stay in the air for some time after the person carrying the virus leaves the area. A person with measles can make others sick four days before and after the original carrier shows symptoms.
Symptoms of measles include a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher; cough; runny nose; and red, watery eyes. These are followed by a rash that is red, raised and blotchy and a fever that may spike to over 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
Individuals who were at the DFW Airport at the listed times and locations should watch for symptoms of measles until June 5, the news release said. If individuals show signs of illness, the health department advises for those people to call their doctor's office or health care facility first and inform the office that they might have measles to avoid exposing other people.
