A recent immigrant to Western New York has been confirmed as having measles, according to Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein.
The county was notified of the case late Tuesday after a test was conducted at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital on Maple Road, she said.
While most people have been immunized against the highly contagious disease, it is possible thousands of people have been exposed to the illness, Burstein said.
The person, who came into the United States on November 27 from Eastern Europe, might have exposed people at several different locations:
- Catholic Charities on Herkimer Street
- Erie County Department of Health Clinic on William Street
- Sweet Home High School on Sweet Home Road
- Erie County Department of Social Services on Pearl Street
- Erie County Department of Health Clinic on William Street
- Aldi on Transit Road
- Best Buy on Transit Road
- Marshall’s on Transit Road
- Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital
The person visited those locations between December 4 and 11. The person was not contagious and did not have the disease when he or she arrived in the country on November 27, Burstein confirmed.
Anyone who might have been exposed is urged to contact their primary health care provider, a clinic or call an emergency department before going to a hospital or health care facility in order to prevent further exposing other people to the disease, she said.
Symptoms include a runny nose, watery eyes, and/or a cough for several days, followed by the apperance of a rash.
People are considered contagious four days before and after the apperance of a rash, she said.
Burstein declined to say where the individual lives or whether it’s a man or woman.
“From a public health standpoint, from a disease control standpoint, it doesn’t matter where the individual lives, it matters the individual could’ve exposed others,” she said.
Burstein also discussed a case of tuberculosis confirmed in Williamsville in which hundreds of students may have been exposed to the disease.