Second infected person passes through LAX airport with ‘world’s most infectious disease’
A second person traveling through Los Angeles International Airport has tested positive for measles.
The patient arrived on a China Airlines flight on March 5, and was in Terminal B between 7 pm and 10:40 pm.
Over the following days, they then visited a nail salon in North Hollywood and a grocery store in El Monte.
Officials have raised the alarm, and said all those who may have been exposed should check their vaccination status immediately.
Los Angeles county officials advised those who had not been vaccinated but feared they had been exposed to monitor their symptoms for 21 days.
Everyone is also urged to get the measles vaccine, which slashes the risk of developing the disease by 97 percent. It was not clear whether the patient had been vaccinated.
It marks the second measles patient to travel through LAX this year, after an infected infant arrived in the airport on a Korean Air flight in February.
A second case has been reported in a passenger who traveled through Terminal B at Los Angeles International Airport (the airport is pictured above)
Three major US airports have already raised the alarm over measles this year, with alerts also being issued in New York’s JFK International Airport and Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport.
It also comes amid a major outbreak of the disease in Texas, which has already sickened more than 250 people and led to 29 hospitalizations and two deaths.
Measles is the most infectious disease in the world, with one patient capable of infecting nine out of 10 people they come into contact with, and up to 19 in total.
It is spread via respiratory droplets expelled via coughs and sneezes that can hang in the air for up to two hours.
Infected patients first suffer from a fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat before developing the characteristic red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, including the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.
After arriving on March 5, local health authorities said the patient visited Cloud 9 Nail Salon in North Hollywood between 11am and 5pm.
They also said that on March 10 the patient went to Superior Grocery Store in El Monte from 8.15am to 10.30am.
It was not clear when the person first showed symptoms for measles or when their infection was diagnosed.
After being diagnosed with the disease, however, patients are told to isolate and if symptoms become severe enough, they may be hospitalized.
Patients are typically treated with painkillers, but may also receive antibiotics if they develop an associated infection or Vitamin A if they show signs of being malnourished.
In severe cases, they may also need assistance breathing.
Dr Muntu Davis, Los Angeles county’s health officer, said: ‘With measles outbreaks happening both in the United States and internationally, this recent case in our county highlights how important it is for anyone who has not been immunized to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
‘Measles spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, and a person infected with measles can pass it on to other before they feel sick or have symptoms.’
She added: ‘Young children and those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for life-threatening complications from infection.
‘Getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and stop the spread of this dangerous disease.’
Two of the airport-linked measles patients have arrived in the US on China Airlines flights this year, while one has arrived on a Korean Air flight.
The second case in Los Angeles is in a resident, while the first case was in a foreign traveler.
There are no reports suggesting an outbreak of measles in China or South Korea.
But late last month, officials in Ontario, Canada, also raised the alarm over measles after an infected passenger arrived in the area from South Korea.
Unlike the US, measles has not been officially eradicated in China, which records low numbers of cases every year, but it was officially eradicated in South Korea in 2006.
The US achieved measles elimination status in 2000, but cases have repeatedly emerged since — linked to passengers bringing in the virus from abroad.
Over recent years, the vaccination rate against measles has dropped, however, amid Covid vaccination mandates and concerns over the safety of vaccines.
The measles vaccine is 97 percent effective against the virus, which can cause death or leave patients with a life-long disability in some cases.
