Measles in Pima County: Were you exposed?

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson resident has been diagnosed with measles after returning to Arizona from international travel, the Pima County Health Department confirmed. The resident was fully vaccinated at the time of infection.

Anissa Taylor, Epidemiology Program Manager for the Pima County Health Department, said even though this is a vaccine preventable disease, vaccination does not guarantee full protection against the virus.

"So 3% of people with immunizations can still develop if they are exposed unfortunately, so it does depend on your immune system as well," Taylor said.

Pima County says symptoms typically appear 7–14 days after exposure.

Measles symptoms include a high fever — typically over 103 degrees, a runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes.

"And then after that is when the rash will start," Taylor said. "And the rash tends to start from the hairline and work its way down. So you'll get that on your face and go down to your neck, your chest, your torso, out to your extremities. It's a rash that if you press it, it kind of like blanches. And it may look a little bit different depending on your skin tone, of course, and then it'll fade away in that same order. And again, depending on your immune system, it can present a little bit different."

The contagious virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left an area.

"The virus is present in the air when a person is there and they're spreading droplets either through talking, singing, laughing, coughing is obviously the most, where you would have droplets spread through your mouth or your nasal secretions," Taylor said.

Pima County identified eight potential public exposure locations across Tucson and Oro Valley. If you were at any of these locations on the dates and times listed, be sure to be keep an eye on your health and watch for symptoms.

PIMA COUNTY

Shoppers and gym-goers in the affected areas expressed concern after learning of the potential exposures. Joey Chavez, who shops at Sprouts, said the news gave him pause.

"I'd be very sad if I got measles at Sprouts. That'd probably prohibit me from coming if, if it were to be true," Chavez said.

Katie Kosa, who goes to the LA Fitness location listed among the exposure sites, said she has concerns about her personal health risk.

"I'm like a type one diabetic, so what could that mean for me if I get in contact with that and stuff?" Kosa asked.

Taylor said it depends on how you take care of your diabetes.

"If they're up to date on their immunizations and their diabetes is being controlled, there shouldn't be an issue. Of course, they should still be communicating with their provider," Taylor said. "If they obviously have severe diabetes and they're on dialysis and it's not being controlled and they were exposed, and they're not up to date with their immunizations — then obviously that can increase, you know, risk of complications."

Kosa hopes the gym takes precaution seriously and says it also bothers her when people don't clean their machines after using it.

"Get some extra cleaning supplies or something because some of the people I've seen do not wipe down their spots," Kosa said. "Like literally, I went this weekend and some old lady got off the equipment and I'm like you're not gonna wipe that. I just stared at her. I'm like that's disgusting."

Taylor also emphasized that being listed as a potential exposure site does not mean a location is unsafe to visit going forward.

"If there's a location that's listed, it doesn't mean that you can never go there. It just means that that was a location that if you happen to be at that place at that time, you should just check on your vaccine records to make sure that you're up to date with your vaccines," Taylor said.

She says people are contagious four days before the rash and four days after the rash. So if you believe you have been exposed to measles and are experiencing symptoms, you should stay isolated away from others and contact a healthcare provider before going to a hospital or clinic.

For more information about measles and where to get vaccinated, visit pima.gov/measles or contact PCHD Epidemiology at 520-724-7797.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.