The Indiana State Department of Health is reporting that a patient infected with measles visited the Super Bowl festivities in downtown Indianapolis on Friday, February 3. The patient did not go into the NFL Experience. Visitors to the Super Bowl, including New York Giants fans, may have been exposed to the illness.
Measles (rubeola) is a highly contagious viral illness that affects the respiratory system. Patients may be infectious as early as four day before any symptoms appear. The Centers for Disease Control describe the symptoms as
- fever
- runny nose
- cough
- all over body rash
The New York State Department of Health states that the symptoms appear in seven to eighteen day post exposure. The illness brings a high rate of complications, 30 percent of the cases according to some estimates.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene lists complications from measles, including
diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, seizures, infections of the brain and nervous system, and death. In pregnant women, measles can cause miscarriages and birth defects.
Visitors to the Super Bowl, and to the city of Indianapolis, should contact a physician if they develop symptoms such as those described. Measles is a preventable illness through the use of a vaccine. The MMR vaccine series is most often given to prevent measles between age one and five. Most states require immunization prior to a child entering public school.
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