300 people possibly exposed to measles after infected child visits California hospital

Hundreds of people could have been exposed to measles after a child with the highly-contagious disease went to an urgent care center and hospital in northern California earlier this month, health officials said.

The child’s visit to the health facilities on March 5 raised alarm as officials attempt to track down the roughly 300 people who might have been exposed to measles.

The youngster visited the San Joaquin Urgent Care, and then was sent to the emergency room at UC Davis, El Dorado County authorities said.

The people at risk of catching the disease are unvaccinated and were at UC Davis between noon and 5 p.m. on March 5.

“Please do not go directly to the emergency Department as that could increase spread and put others at risk,” El Dorado County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Matthew Minson said in a statement.

People from 16 counties were possibly exposed, a Sacramento County public health office spokesperson told the Sacramento Bee.

The hospital reportedly said it had the problem “under control” and were putting forth an all-out effort to contact those affected people.

“UC Davis has a record of each patient and employee in the Emergency Department that day, and notifications about potential exposure are being sent through phone calls, the electronic medical record’s online messaging portal, letters, in person, and to the care teams of patients who were admitted from the Emergency Department during the time period,” the hospital said, per CNN.

A San Joaquin County Public Health Services spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle about 30 people were at the urgent care center when the child was there, but they were all vaccinated against measles, alleviating any concern.

The illness, which can be deadly, will begin to develop between seven and 14 days after initial exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states.

Babies and young children are most at risk to get dangerous side effects with symptoms including high fever, a rash, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, according to the CDC.

Pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems can also suffer more severely.

Vaccination for measles is the best protection against the disease.