Measles case confirmed in a person who visited a Montgomery County car dealership and a Wawa

Montgomery County health officials on Saturday warned residents of a possible measles exposure at two locations in the county, after confirming another case of the highly contagious disease.

A person infected with measles visited a car dealership and a convenience store in Royersford and Limerick earlier this week, officials said.

The case is connected to another in the county that was confirmed earlier this month, said Richard Lorraine, the medical director of the Montgomery County Health Department.

The original measles case was linked to a larger outbreak centered on a college in Florida, Lorraine said. A person infected with measles connected to that outbreak then traveled to Montgomery County and visited an urgent care center in Collegeville on Jan. 29, he said.

Later, two people in their household, who live in Montgomery County, contracted measles; they were already quarantining by the time they developed symptoms, Lorraine said.

The latest case, announced on Saturday, was in an adult who had visited the Collegeville urgent care clinic at the same time as the original patient, Lorraine said. That person developed symptoms about 20 days after exposure to the virus, Lorraine said. The virus can incubate for up to 21 days before symptoms appear.

All of the Pennsylvania residents who have contracted measles so far this year, including the Montgomery County cases, were not vaccinated against the disease.

People who were at the following Montgomery County locations during the following time periods may have been exposed to the virus, which can linger in the air for up to two hours, officials said.

People are generally considered protected from measles if they were born in 1957 or earlier or have had two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, or the recommended number of doses based on their age, health officials said.

People are also considered protected if they have undergone lab testing that confirms they have already had the disease or have immunity to it.

People who are not fully vaccinated or do not have immunity to measles and were exposed to the virus should call their doctor or the county public health office. The office can be reached at 610-278-5117 or after hours at 610-635-4300.

Lorraine said that county health officials are working to track anyone who worked at or visited the Wawa and the car dealership earlier this week.

Once health officials identify people who passed through those locations, he said, they check to ensure they are vaccinated for measles. People with two doses of the MMR vaccine are of little concern, since the vaccine is about 98% effective at preventing disease, Lorraine said.

The county can also test residents without documentation of vaccination for measles immunity. People without immunity can get an MMR vaccine within about 72 hours of exposure to the virus that can prevent them from contracting measles, Lorraine said.

“For those folks who don’t have an immune status, and don’t get the MMR, they do need to quarantine for up to 21 days afterward, because that’s how long the incubation period is,” he said.

People without immunity who were potentially exposed to the virus should observe themselves for symptoms during that period. Symptoms include fever, an unexplained rash, a cough, congestion or a runny nose, and red, watery eyes.

Health officials said people who develop measles symptoms should stay home and call a doctor immediately. They should also call ahead to any healthcare providers they plan to visit to protect staff and other patients from the disease.

As of Saturday, Pennsylvania health officials said they have confirmed 11 cases of measles in state residents, a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesperson wrote in an e-mail.

Seven Lancaster County residents had been infected, as well as three in Montgomery County and one in Chester County. Two more cases were identified in out-of-state residents who visited the area: one in Montgomery County and one in Chester County.

Chester County health officials did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday.

On Friday, Delaware health officials said they had identified a case in a patient who visited a Wilmington emergency room.

Lorraine said it is imperative for area residents to get vaccinated against measles, which can cause severe complications including pneumonia and brain infections. About 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who contract measles will die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infants and children under 5 years old, adults over 20, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, including patients with leukemia or HIV, are at particular risk for complications from the disease, according to the CDC.

“Like every other illness, measles can be mild, it can be severe. But that’s the reason why we want to immunize: We want to mitigate the possibility of severe illness. We really don’t want to even take a small chance on that,” Lorraine said.