Hundreds of people could have been exposed to measles at California hospital

Around 300 people could have been exposed to measles at a California hospital over the space of five hours, with officials now frantically contacting all those potentially affected.

A child with the illness was being treated in the emergency department at UC Davis Health in Sacramento on 5 March, with officials then announcing Friday that there may have been 300 exposures during that time.

Sacramento County Public Health said in a statement that unvaccinated individuals who were in the department between 12pm and 5pm that day could develop symptoms anytime between 7 and 21 days.

Officials in nearby El Dorado County are also involved in the effort to control the situation, as some of its residents may have been exposed as well.

“We will be receiving a list of those who were confirmed at the UC Davis Emergency Department at that time and will be contacting those individuals for further instructions,” Dr. Matthew Minson, El Dorado County’s Public Health Officer, said in a press release.

“Please do not go directly to the emergency department as that could increase spread and put others at risk.”

The condition is highly contagious and begins with a mild-to-moderate fever, along with a cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes.