5 who arrived in Virginia from Afghanistan have measles
RICHMOND, Va. – Five people who recently traveled to Virginia from Afghanistan have been diagnosed with measles, state health officials said Tuesday.
The cases are being reported four days after the U.S. halted in-bound flights of Afghan evacuees following the discovery of a few cases of measles among new arrivals.
The Virginia Department of Health said in a news release that the people were part of the U.S. government’s emergency evacuation efforts from Afghanistan, which recently came under Taliban rule.
Virginia health officials did not offer specifics Tuesday regarding where the people who are infected are located. But they said they’re working to identify and contact people who may have been exposed in three parts of the state.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be spread through coughing, sneezing and contact with droplets from the nose, mouth or throat. Most Americans are vaccinated against it as children.