Measles exposure possible at restaurant

All those there March 9 urged to watch for symptoms

SAN LEANDRO >> Visitors to a restaurant here earlier this month may have been exposed to the measles virus, according to the Alameda County Health Department.

Health officials said the exposure came at the Sons of Liberty Alehouse on

Juana Avenue on March 9. Officials believe people who were in the restaurant from 4:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. may have been exposed.

They did not specify whether the person who was unknowingly carrying the virus was a customer or a worker.

In the warning, officials advised people who may have been there and who are vulnerable to the disease to have themselves checked and to call the Alameda County Public Health Department immediately at 510-267-3250.

The vulnerable population to measles includes pregnant women or infants 11 months old or younger; anyone who is not vaccinated for measles or unsure of their vaccination status; those who have weak immune systems from being immunocompromised; and health care workers and child care providers.

“The individuals who are at the highest risk are those who are unvaccinated,” Contra Costa County deputy health officer Dr. Meera Sreenivafan said. “What the general public should be wanting to know is whether they are vaccinated. In general in the United States, we have high vaccination rates, but because of the pandemic, we've seen a recent decrease.”

The measles virus is highly contagious and is spread with sneezing and coughing or direct contact with secretions, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Measles can be a serious illness if you're unvaccinated and exposed,” Sreenivafan said. “Back in the day, when we didn't have the vaccine for it, it was responsible for very serious illnesses and even death.”

The Alameda County health department urged anyone who visited the Sons of Liberty Alehouse on March 9 to watch for symptoms, which can appear from one week to three weeks after exposure. Symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash.

Health officials said that anyone experiencing symptoms of measles should contact his medical facility first before visiting and tell someone on the medical staff that he may have been exposed to the virus.

The World Health Organization declared measles eradicated in the United States in 2000, but the number of reported cases has been climbing in recent years. By early March, the CDC reported 35 measles cases in 15 states.

The California Department of Public Health said Wednesday it was aware of four reported cases of measles statewide.