Philadelphia airport measles exposure prompts health alert for travelers

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — A person infected with measles traveled through a terminal last week at Philadelphia International Airport, according to the city’s Health Department.

A notice from the city says the person was in Terminal E between 1:35 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12.

According to CBS News, Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson said officials do not believe there is a threat to the general public.

“We encourage people who were possibly exposed to take action if they are not protected against measles,” Raval-Nelson said. “Many countries, including travel destinations, are experiencing measles outbreaks, so the risk of travel-related measles cases remains.”

Measles is highly contagious through the air if an unvaccinated person is exposed, according to health experts. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after exposure.

Symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after exposure and can start with high fever, cough, watery and red eyes, and a runny nose. Later symptoms include white spots inside the mouth, a red rash and a spike in fever.

In the worst cases, the disease can lead to life-threatening pneumonia or permanent brain damage. About 1 in 10 cases require hospitalization, most involving children.

Children less than 1 year old, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system should see a health care professional as soon as possible if exposed, according to Philadelphia’s Health Department.

An outbreak in South Carolina in the hundreds has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, and there is also one on the Utah-Arizona border. Multiple other states have had confirmed cases this year.

The outbreaks have mostly impacted children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.

There were 45 cases reported in Ohio in 2025, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Three cases have been reported this year in Cuyahoga County.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)