Public health officials confirmed the first case of measles, a Los Angeles County resident this year. This is the second known case of infection that passed through Los Angeles International Airport in 2025.
The LA County Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that county residents travelled on a China Airlines flight while the infection was arriving at LAX at Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B).
Measles is a viral infection that spreads in the air and through droplets. It can lead to serious health complications, including death. According to the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, if an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes, or touches an infected surface and contracts it, the virus can spread.
The disease is highly contagious, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that measles can be obtained simply by being in a room with infected people.
This is the second most recent case of people infected with measles exposing others on LAX. Last month, an infected infant who returned to Orange County arrived at the airport on a Korean Air flight at Terminal B.
Health officials have listed the following locations the infected person visited after the flight:
Some people at risk of exposure to recent measles include:
Travelers at Tom Bradley International Terminal between 7pm and 10:40pm on March 5th are located at the excellent grocery store, Customer, 5142pm, N. Rankershim Blvd.10683 Valley Boulevard, visited the Cloud9 Nail Salon in North Hollywood from 11am to 5pm on March 7th. On March 10th, I visited El Monte from 8:15am to 10:30am.
As of March 11th, California has reported five cases of measles as of March 11 amid the spread of measles in the US.
There are 222 cases nationwide, including Alaska, California, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington, according to the CDC.
All cases of measles diagnosed in California so far are from infected people who travelled internationally, the county health department said.
At least 17% of cases nationwide require hospitalization for the purposes of managing or isolating measles complications, and two people died from complications of the disease. Most cases are among non-vaccinated individuals.
Health officials say the best way to protect against measles is to use measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines. Two MMR vaccines are approximately 97% effective in preventing measles. One dose is approximately 93% effective. The CDC recommends getting the first dose of the MMR vaccine at 12-15 months and the second dose at age 4-6 years.
What should I do if I’m exposed to measles?
If you were on a flight or terminal, please do the following at the nail salon or grocery store visited by an infected traveler:
Check your vaccinations and medical records to determine if you are protected from measles. If you have not had measles in the past or have not yet obtained the measles vaccine, you are at risk of contracting the disease. If you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system or are not immune to the disease, let your health care provider know as soon as possible about potential exposures. Parents or guardians of babies who may have been exposed should contact their pediatrician. Have symptoms, especially those with fever or unexpected rashes from 7 to 21 days after potential exposure. If you experience symptoms, stay home and avoid entering the medical facility before making the first call, allowing you to recognize your exposure or symptoms.
How long does it take for measles to develop symptoms?
Symptoms can occur 7-21 days after exposure.
Exposed individuals who have been without symptoms for more than 21 days are no longer at risk.
Symptoms of measles
For 7-14 days after exposure, symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and rash.
A rash may develop on the face and neck 7-18 days after exposure. The rash can spread to your hands and feet over three days. Health officials say the rash should last five to six days before fading.
Infection can cause severe complications such as blindness, encephalitis (an infectious disease that causes swelling of the brain and potentially causing brain damage), severe diarrhea and related dehydration, ear infections, difficulty breathing due to pneumonia, and in some cases difficulties with death, according to the World Health Organization.
Public health experts say complications are most common in children under the age of 5 and adults over the age of 30.
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