The Tennessee Department of Health on Wednesday said that a man infected with the measles may have infected people at two convenience stores in East Tennessee, including one in Clinton.
In a press release, officials said the Department of Health is continuing to investigate a case of measles in a resident of East Tennessee and notify people who may have been exposed to the illness through contact with the patient. This investigation has identified two locations the patient visited in Tennessee where members of the public may have been exposed to measles.
People who were at either of these locations during the dates and times specified below may have been exposed to measles:
- Mapco at 200 Browns Ferry Road in Chattanooga on April 11, 2019, from 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
- Speedway at 2148 North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard in Clinton on April 12, 2019, from 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
There is no concern if visited those stations outside of the times listed, the press release said. State health officials said that because the virus is airborne, once the person has been gone for two hours, the risk is gone.
Measles symptoms include fever, runny nose, body aches, watery eyes, and white spots in the mouth, according to the press release. Several days after those symptoms appear, a red, spotty rash typically begins on the face and spreads over the body. These symptoms may develop any time in the 21 days after someone is exposed to the measles. About one in three measles patients will experience ear infections, diarrhea, or pneumonia, the release said.
People with questions about what to do to protect themselves against measles should call a health care provider, the local health department (you can find a list here) or a hotline established to provide answers to questions from the public about measles. The hotline number is (865) 549-5343; calls to the hotline will be answered from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Central time and 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Eastern time daily until further notice.
For more information about measles, visit www.tn.gov/health/cedep/tennesee-measles.html.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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