Topline
Maryland health officials announced Sunday that a resident who traveled internationally has tested positive for measles, warning that travelers at Washington Dulles Airport on March 5 may have been exposed, as health officials nationwide battle new cases of the highly infectious disease—sparking concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership of the nation’s health agency.
Maryland health officials warned travelers who were at Washington Dulles Airport, pictured here, on … [+]
Key Facts
A resident of Howard County, Maryland, has tested positive for measles after traveling internationally, the Maryland Department of Health announced Sunday, noting the case is unrelated to outbreaks of the disease in Texas and New Mexico.
Health officials are working to identify anyone who may have been exposed, including contacting passengers on the patient’s flight, but have also urged people who were at Dulles Airport or the pediatric emergency department where the patient was treated to monitor for measles symptoms.
Anyone who was at Dulles Airport’s international arrivals area March 5 between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST may have been exposed to measles, a highly contagious airborne disease that can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for hours after an infected person leaves the area.
Those who were at the Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Department on March 7 between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. EST were also potentially exposed, health officials said.
People who may have been exposed are directed to monitor for symptoms for 21 days following the exposure, and should call their health care provider before going to a doctors office or hospital in person to prevent transmission of the disease.
What Are The Symptoms Of Measles?
Early symptoms of measles can include a runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, small white spots inside the cheeks and a fever of more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, which is then followed by a prominent red rash. Symptoms typically begin 10 to 14 days after exposure, but can begin sooner or later than that. People with measles are considered to be contagious starting four days before the red rash appears through four days after it begins, the health officials noted.
Who’s Most At Risk Of Getting Measles?
People who have been vaccinated for measles, have previously had measles or were born before 1957 are considered to be the most protected from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young children and pregnant people are considered to be at the highest risk for developing complications from a measles infection.
How Many Other Measles Cases Are There In The Us?
Measles is spreading in an outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, with 198 cases identified in Texas as of Friday and 30 in New Mexico. The New Mexico cases are concentrated in the state’s Lea County, which borders Texas. An unvaccinated school-aged child died from the disease in Texas in February, marking the first death in the U.S. from the disease in 10 years. A second death of an unvaccinated person with measles was also reported in New Mexico last week. The CDC reports 222 total measles cases have been confirmed in the U.S. in 2025 as of Friday, with cases also reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington. That compares with 285 cases reported nationwide throughout all of 2024.
Key Background
Measles was announced as being eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, given the success of vaccines in eliminating the disease, though outbreaks of the virus have still popped up among the unvaccinated. The newest outbreaks of the virus have raised concerns about the nation’s ability to handle them, as Kennedy—a noted vaccine skeptic—has assumed control of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has expressed concern about the measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico but stopped short of explicitly calling for Americans to get vaccinated, saying March 3 that “vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity,” while also adding that the “decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” The health leader has also drawn scrutiny for boosting vitamin A as a treatment for measles, which experts say is insufficient as a replacement for vaccination and can carry risks if too much is taken. “Relying on vitamin A instead of the vaccine is not only dangerous and ineffective, but it puts children at serious risk,” American Academy of Pediatrics president Sue Kressly said in a statement last week, as quoted by The Washington Post. “Taking too much vitamin A can cause serious health problems, including liver damage.”
Further Reading
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