The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention says it has received a report of a positive measles test in a Maine child and is awaiting information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The child did get the measles vaccine, but the Maine CDC said it is not possible to contract measles from the vaccine. The agency said it is considering the child to be infectious "out of an abundance of caution."
The Maine CDC said it has notified the locations where the exposure may have occurred, which include a mall, several medical facilities and a grocery store, and is working with those facilities to inform anyone who might have been exposed.
Those locations include:
- Family Time Dine and Play at the Auburn Mall, 550 Center St., Auburn (April 29, between 3-7 p.m.)
- Clear Choice MD, 273 Payne Road, Scarborough (May 1, between 1-4 p.m.)
- Hannaford, 50 Cottage Road, South Portland (May 1, between 2-5 p.m.)
- Mercy Fore River Emergency Department, 175 Fore River Parkway, Portland (May 2, between 7:45 p.m.-12 a.m. and May 3, between 12-3:30 a.m.
"Anyone at these locations during these times should watch for symptoms for 21 days after their exposure," the Maine CDC said in a statement. "If you have symptoms, call a health care provider for instructions before going to the office or hospital to help prevent further spread of infection."
Most people are vaccinated for measles as a child. Unvaccinated individuals who were expose can take steps to prevent infection and should speak with a doctor.
According to the U.S. CDC, as of April 28, there have been 10 cases of measles confirmed in eight states this year.
Measles is highly contagious. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and a rash that spreads from the head down. Measles can cause severe sickness, including pneumonia, encephalitis and death. An infected person spreads measles through coughs or sneezes.
Once infected, a person can spread measles from four days before their rash starts through four days afterward. The virus remains alive on surfaces and in the air for up to two hours.
Symptoms can begin 10-14 days from exposure but can be longer. There are no asymptomatic cases of measles.
