For Immediate Release
June 29, 2006

Contact: Howard Sutter
 (714) 834-2178

Travelers Visiting Germany Advised About Possible Measles Exposure

(Santa Ana) – Southern California residents who have traveled to Germany, including those visiting for the World Cup soccer matches, should take notice of a recent advisory issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, nearly 1,200 cases of measles have been reported this year in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region. Three of the 12 cities hosting the World Cup—Cologne, Dortmund, and Gelsenkirchen— are in the affected region. CDC is concerned about the risk posed by the World Cup because tourists are in close proximity, the measles virus is extremely contagious and because travelers may not take as many precautions when traveling to Western Europe as they would to other parts of the world.

CDC recommends that:

• People returning from the World Cup in Germany should see a healthcare provider if they develop signs or symptoms of measles—a fever and a raised rash that begins on the face and spreads to the arms and legs, cough, red eyes, or a runny nose. Call ahead to inform the health care provider’s office of the possibility of measles.
• People with these symptoms should also limit their contact with others as much as possible to prevent the spread of the disease.
• Clinicians seeing a patient with fever should ask about vaccination history and any recent international travel.
• Travelers planning to visit Germany should check their immunization status for measles.

Measles is a highly contagious viral respiratory illness transmitted through coughing and sneezing. The disease can lead to inflammation of the brain, resulting in death in approximately 2 of every 1,000 cases in developed countries, and can be an especially severe disease in people who have weakened immune systems. In the United States, most people born before 1957, those who have had a documented case of measles, and those who have received 2 doses of vaccine providing protection against measles are considered immune.

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