DC Health is working to identify people who have been exposed to measles after officials were notified of a confirmed case in someone who visited the District.
The case comes amid growing concerns over measles outbreaks in the United States. On Friday, the United States surpassed 700 cases, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The total number of U.S. cases in 2024 was 285.
Anyone who was at the Five Guys located at 1400 I Street Northwest on April 5 between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus, health officials said.
Measles is considered highly contagious and can be spread through the air when someone with the disease coughs, sneezes or even breathes.
Those who may have been exposed should consult with their healthcare provider or call DC Health at 844-493-2652 for more guidance.
If symptoms start to appear, isolate immediately, said DC Health. The symptomatic person should then call their healthcare provider. If it is necessary to see the healthcare provider in person or go to the emergency room, they should be called ahead of time so they can take measures to protect staff and other patients.
Who is protected?
People who have not received a measles-containing vaccine — the measles, mumps,
and rubella (MMR) vaccine or a measles only vaccine, which is sometimes used in other countries — are at especially high risk of becoming infected.
So far in 2025, 97% of the 712 U.S. measles cases have been in unvaccinated individuals or individuals with unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC.
Anyone who has had two doses of a measles containing vaccine or was born before 1957 should be protected and does not need to take any action, DC Health said. Anyone who has only received one dose should still be protected but should talk to their healthcare provider about getting a second one in order to reach full immunity.
People who may have been exposed and are immunocompromised should consult with their healthcare provider, DC Health said. Infants are also at increased risk, given the first dose of the MMR vaccine is not administered until 12-15 months of age.
Those who have been exposed and are at risk for contracting the disease should look out for symptoms until 21 days since their last exposure, DC Health said.
What are the symptoms?
Measles symptoms develop in two stages, DC Health said.
The first stage begins 7 to 14 days after exposure. Here are some common symptoms:
- Fever over 101 degrees
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes
- Cough
The second stage starts 3 to 5 days after the initial symptoms begin and is characterized by a distinctive rash on the face, which gradually spreads to the rest of the body.
A person with measles is contagious from four days before this rash appears until four days after it has become visible.
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