Officials warn of measles exposure at San Leandro eatery

Alameda County health officials alerted the public Tuesday about a possible measles exposure at a San Leandro restaurant earlier this month.

Health officials said the possible exposure occurred at Sons of Liberty Alehouse in San Leandro between the hours of 4:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on March 9.

Measles is an infection that is caused by a virus. The disease is highly contagious and can be serious, even fatal, for young children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The child death rate from measles has fallen worldwide; it still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children, the Mayo Clinic said.

Alameda County health officials said people who were at the restaurant and have an infant 11 months old or younger, are not vaccinated for measles, unsure of measles vaccination status, pregnant, immunocompromised, a health care worker or a child care provider are advised to call their doctor immediately. All customers who were at the restaurant are advised to watch for measles symptoms, which can develop seven to 21 days after exposure, officials said.

“Measles (rubeola) is highly contagious and is transmitted via direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes,” Alameda County health officials said. “One person infected with measles can infect nine out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come into close contact.”

The short- and longterm effects of measles can be devastating. Alameda County health officials said people can experience complications like diarrhea, middle ear infections and pneumonia. One in a thousand people with measles can develop encephalitis, a brain infection, and one to two children of every thousand with measles may die from lung or brain complications, officials said.

As of March 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there have been a total of 58 measles cases in 17 different states, including California, which is the same number of cases reported in all of 2023.

“Among the 58 cases reported in 2024, 54 (93%) were linked to international travel,” an alert issued by the CDC on Monday said. “Most cases reported in 2024 have been among children age 12 months and older who had not received measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.”

Earlier this month, a child with a confirmed case of measles may have exposed 300 people at San Joaquin Urgent Care and UC Davis Health Emergency Department to the highly infectious disease.