Health officials have warned of a potential measles outbreak at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
A passenger arriving on an international flight tested positive for the highly contagious respiratory illness, which is currently ripping through the US.
Travelers who were at the airport, which serves the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland region, on June 8 have been warned they could be at high risk of the virus.
The infected traveler passed through Concourse A, took airport transportation to the International Arrivals Building (IAB), then visited the baggage claim area between 10:30am and 1pm.
In addition, they took public transportation in the area on the same day, traveling on the Washington Metro Silver Line train from the Dulles International Airport station to the Red Line, heading towards Shady Grove station between 11:30am and 2:30pm.
Travelers who fear they may have been exposed are advised to confirm if they have been vaccinated against measles.
To date in 2025, Virginia has three reported cases of measles, with another one of these cases also linked to a traveler at Washington Dulles International Airport.
The new case comes as Texas is battling a measles outbreak that has infected nearly 800 people and killed two children – and experts warn the US is vulnerable to even more measles outbreaks because of falling vaccination rates.
Health officials have warned of a potential measles outbreak at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia
At this time, 744 cases have been confirmed in the Lone Star state since late January.
Ninety-six of the patients have been hospitalized and there have been two fatalities in unvaccinated school-aged children who lived in the outbreak area.
Overall, in the US there have been 1,168 confirmed measles cases reported by 34 states and at least three deaths.
Measles is the world’s most contagious disease – infecting nine out of 10 people exposed – but those who are fully vaccinated are protected in 97 percent of cases.
The illness causes tiny white spots inside the mouth, flat red spots on the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet, ear infections and a high fever.
If severe, it can lead to life-threatening pneumonia.
Children need two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine: the first at age 12-15 months, and the second dose at age 4-6 years.
Babies ages 6-11 months should get an early dose if traveling internationally. Adults should also check to see if they are immune to measles.
About one to three in 1,000 people with measles dies of the illness.
Out of studied counties, 78 percent or 1,614 counties reported drops in MMR vaccination rates
Cold-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and a runny or blocked nose, are usually the first signal of measles
In an updated advisory, the CDC is warning that people can get infected with measles during travel or at crowded events, unless they are fully vaccinated or have had the disease.
The notice reads: ‘Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings, including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events.
‘Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune.’
The government agency recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to an international destination.
The last time measles was this rife in the US was in 2019, when there were 1,274 cases reported for the entire year.
Measles was officially eradicated in the US in 2000 amid a successful vaccination campaign.
At the time, the CDC described achieving measles elimination status in the US as a ‘historic public health achievement’.
However, a recent study found uptake of the vaccine among children declined in eight in 10 US counties last year, which is being signaled as the cause of the measles resurgence.
Overall, vaccine rates fell three percent across the country.
It means that 91 percent of children are vaccinated against measles, which is below the 95 percent needed to prevent the disease from spreading and causing deaths.
The Johns Hopkins University researchers warned that if vaccination rates continue to fall, measles is likely to return and become a common infection among Americans.
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