City of St. Louis Department of Health Issues Measles Advisory

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The City of St. Louis Department of Health encourages residents to monitor their health after a possible measles exposure.

An individual present at the following locations tested positive for measles on Saturday, Sept. 19; however, they were contagious but likely asymptomatic as early as Sept. 12.

Sept. 12 一 3:30-7:50 p.m. The Cat's Meow
Sept. 12 一 6-11:30 p.m. Busch Stadium, seated in or near Section 141
Sept. 12 一 9:30 p.m.- 2 a.m. Paddy O's

Because measles is highly contagious, the Department of Health urges anyone who may have been exposed-especially those who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or a parent of a child too young to be vaccinated-to contact their health care provider or the Department of Health immediately.

"If you were present at any of these locations during the exposure window, please monitor your health closely for the next 21 days," said Dr. Faisal Khan, Director of Health. "If you do begin experiencing any of the listed symptoms, we strongly recommend self-isolating immediately and contacting your care provider for the next steps. It is very important that you do not report directly to a medical facility without informing them first."

Anyone present during the exposure window has a chance of developing measles if they are not fully vaccinated. The Department of Health has been working closely with the affected venues and the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services to notify anyone present during the established exposure window.

Since symptoms develop 7-14 days after exposure, we expect anyone who contracted measles to begin experiencing illness within the next few days. We strongly recommend that anyone who experiences a high fever, cough or runny nose, red, watery eyes or a rash that begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body immediately isolate and contact their care provider. Please note that a rash may not develop for several days after exposure, so do not wait for one to appear if you are experiencing any of the other listed symptoms.

Measles can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and death. Measles is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves an area, which accounts for the inflated exposure window.

The main concern at this time is for people who are not already protected against measles. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides strong protection against measles, especially after two doses. Measles can be especially dangerous for pregnant women and their unborn babies. Children too young to be vaccinated are more likely to have severe complications if they get infected with the measles virus.

Health care providers can find recommendations for infection control and diagnostic testing in the health alert issued on Sept. 4. Providers should report any suspected cases to their local health department immediately, preferably while the patient is still with the provider.

More information can be found on the Department of Health website.

For more information, please contact the City of St. Louis Department of Health at 314-612-5100 or [email protected].