DC Measles Patient Took Train While Contagious

A person with highly-contagious measles took an Amtrak train to Washington, DC, last week, health officials said Tuesday, warning others may have been exposed on the train, at Union Station, or at an urgent care center. This is the third measles case reported in the DC area in recent weeks, per NBC Washington. The two earlier patients had traveled internationally. This patient, who was vaccinated, flew into Reagan National Airport from Minnesota, but was not contagious at that time, per the Washington Post. Health officials warned of possible exposures on the Amtrak Northeast Regional 175 southbound train and at the Amtrak Concourse at Union Station on the evening of March 19 and at MedStar Health Urgent Care at Adams Morgan on Saturday evening.

DC's chief epidemiologist, Brittani Saafir-Callaway, said officials are contacting people who may have been exposed, but those who are vaccinated against measles shouldn't worry. "DC has a very high vaccination rate for measles, so the opportunity for an outbreak in the District is very low," she tells the Post. "Anyone who was exposed and is at risk of developing measles should watch for symptoms until 21 days following the date of their last exposure," health officials said in a press release. "If you notice the symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself" and "contact your healthcare provider."

The news comes as the measles outbreak in west Texas continues to grow. Eighteen cases have been reported in the last five days, bringing the total to 327 as of Tuesday, per ABC News. About 75% of cases have occurred in minors, and almost all in patients who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Some doctors have seen unvaccinated children turning up with signs of liver damage, not from measles but from unsafe doses of cod liver oil and other vitamin A supplements which Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "has promoted as a near miraculous cure for measles," per the New York Times. Experts say Vitamin A is not an effective way to prevent measles. The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, on the other hand, is 97% effective at preventing the disease. (More measles stories.)