Maricopa County has been hit with two more reported cases of measles, authorities said, following previous exposures this month.
Health officials are sounding the alarm for potential exposure sites across the East Valley area, where infected individuals visited various locations including restaurants and a car rental agency, ABC15 reported. Among these, Honey and Vine Restaurant and Orlando Auto Body are on the watch list, with possible exposure times extending into the evenings of the days in question.
On the list of locations where people may have been exposed to the virus are also Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Caldwell County BBQ, and Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream in Queen Creek, according to AZFamily. Officials urge those who visited these venues on the specified dates and times to be vigilant for measles symptoms for up to 21 days post-exposure.
Measles symptoms, which include a high fever, cough, and a rash that spreads from the forehead to the rest of the body, typically manifest three to five days after initial contact, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health warns. Health authorities advise anyone showing signs of the disease to self-isolate and seek medical guidance immediately.
The resurgence of measles cases is a stark reminder of the existing global risk, despite the disease being declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. International travelers, as in the first of the Maricopa County cases, continue to pose a risk, and with cases cropping back up, local health officials remain on high alert.
