Measles exposure found in new, third location in Hattiesburg

A new location has been added in an investigation into an out-of-state traveler who was contagious with measles while in Mississippi, the Mississippi State Department of Health announced Tuesday.

On Friday, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs confirmed a Tennessee man who had contracted the infection visited Hattiesburg last week. Dobbs named two restaurants the man visited and the time frames of the visits. A third location has been discovered.

Previous locations

• Subway Restaurant inside the Circle K, 4050 U.S. Highway 11 in Hattiesburg
2-4 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9

• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, 3509 Hardy Street in Hattiesburg
10-11 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10

New location

• Turtle Creek Mall Food Court, 1000 Turtle Creek Drive in Hattiesburg
12-2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10

Anyone who visited the locations during the specified dates and times could have been exposed to measles, according to state health officials. 

Officials said to make sure vaccinations are up-to-date. They said to check for symptoms, and if symptoms occur, be sure to call a doctor or emergency room. Officials said before you go to make sure the facility can make proper arrangements to avoid further spread of the illness.

Measles is a serious respiratory disease of the lungs and breathing tubes that starts with a high fever, followed soon after by a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. On the third to seventh day of the illness, a rash of tiny, red spots will appear. The rash starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body. Symptoms usually appear about eleven days after exposure with a range of seven to twenty-one days.

Measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus lingers in a room where a person with measles has been for up to two hours. Measles can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and death.

Young children are at higher risk for complications, especially those under twelve months old who are too young to receive the measles vaccination.

For more information on measles, visit HealthyMS.com/measles.