Commuters Exposed to Measles on San Francisco Transit System - East Idaho News
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Commuters Exposed to Measles on San Francisco Transit System

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thinkstock 2.11.15 bart?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1423705015352cosmonaut/iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(SAN FRANCISCO) — Officials in Northern California said on Wednesday that commuters across the Bay Area may have been exposed to measles, after an infected person rode the Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

The Contra Costa County Department of Health said a person with measles rode BART between the Lafayette station in the East Bay and the Montgomery station in San Francisco while infected.

The person traveled between the two stations during the morning and evening commutes, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. between Feb. 4 and Feb. 6. Health officials say the person rode on the transit system before being diagnosed.

“Measles is circulating in the Bay Area and we don’t know yet where this person was exposed,” said Erika Jenssen, Communicable Disease Program Chief with Contra Costa Public Health.

“The ongoing measles outbreak in California highlights the need for people to be vaccinated, and this is just another example of how interconnected our region is and how important it is for everyone to be up to date on their immunizations,” Jenssen added.

Health officials said the risk of being exposed to measles on BART is low, but since the measles virus can stay in the air for up to two hours and BART cars circulate throughout the Bay Area, anyone who used the transit system during that time could have been potentially exposed to the virus.  

Health officials urge anyone who shows symptoms of measles to contact their healthcare provider immediately.


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