Two Cases of Measles in Chicago Airport

Over the past week, two separate cases of measles have traveled into the International Terminal at Chicago O'Hare airport. Just two days apart, the two travelers appear to not be related or coming from similar locations. Measles is an incredibly contagious virus, especially on planes as it is transmitted through respiratory routes. Furthermore, the virus has the potential to live in the air for up to two hours, making it incredibly contagious on long, international plane flights where hundreds of people are sitting in close proximity. 

Public health officials are currently in the process of contacting everyone on the flights to inform them of the incident. There are highly efficacious vaccines that can help prevent the onset of the virus. As Dr. Jennifer Layden of the health department stated, "It is important for everyone who can be vaccinated to get vaccinated, if they aren't already." Because the incubation period is about 10-14 days it will likely be another week before anyone who is potentially infected will start to show symptoms. Stay tuned to see how much damage this contagious virus caused. 

Source: http://time.com/5107935/measels-o-hare-airport-chicago/

-Alexandra