Possible measles exposure at Indiana Children’s Museum during total solar eclipse, officials say

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) – People who attended a total solar eclipse at an Indiana children’s museum may have been exposed to measles, according to museum and health officials.

An infected person traveled from out of state to the event at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis on April 8, the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) said in a news release late Friday afternoon. Melissa McMasters, infectious disease and immunizations administrator at the MCPHD, told ABC News that the local county department was notified by the Ministry of Health about the infected patient.

“Measles is one of those diseases that must be reported by law because of its importance to public health,” she said.

No information will be made available about the patient, including name, age, gender, race/ethnicity or what state they are from, due to privacy laws, McMasters said.

Anyone who was exposed to measles and is susceptible would likely see symptoms before Monday, April 22, but symptoms may not appear until April 29, according to the health department.

As of April 8, 3,527 people attended, the children’s museum said, adding that it sent emails to notify attending households for whom it had contact information, as well as to notify all staff and volunteers.

The first symptoms of measles typically begin seven to 14 days after exposure and include fever, coughing, a runny nose and red, watery eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About two to three days later, small white spots known as Koplik spots may appear in the mouth, the CDC says. Not long afterward, a rash breaks out, usually starting on the face — at the hairline — and spreading downward, according to the CDC.

Complications of measles can be relatively benign, such as a skin rash, but they can be much more serious, including viral sepsis, pneumonia, or encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain.

McMasters said the risk to the general public is low because most people have been vaccinated against measles and no cases have been reported in the province. However, anyone who suspects he or she has measles is advised to stay home and call a health care provider immediately, she said.

“We take the health and safety of our visitors, staff, volunteers and community very seriously and are following the lead of the Indiana Department of Health and the Marion County Public Health Department,” the children’s museum said in a statement to ABC News.

“To support their communication, we have also shared information about the potential for measles exposure with as many people as possible who were here on Monday, April 8, 2024. We urge anyone with questions or concerns to contact their local health department. department or a medical professional.”

This comes amid a rapid increase in measles cases in the first quarter of 2024, due in part to several local outbreaks, including at a children’s hospital and daycare center in Philadelphia, an elementary school in Florida and a migrant center in Chicago.

In February, the Indiana Department of Health confirmed the state’s first case of measles in five years in a Lake County resident who sought medical care at three Chicago hospitals, Chicago ABC station WLS reported.

Measles is a highly transmissible virus. According to the CDC, it is so contagious that a measles patient can infect up to 90% of close contacts who are not immune, either through a previous infection or vaccination.

The CDC currently recommends that everyone receive two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, with the first dose between the ages of 12 and 15 months and the second dose between the ages of 4 and 6 years old.

One dose of the measles vaccine is 93% effective at preventing infection when exposed to the virus, according to the CDC, and two doses are 97% effective.

“It’s really troubling that we’re investing so much time, energy, money and resources into this when we know that if we have a highly vaccinated public, we won’t see these cases,” McMasters said. “Yes, I have been working in public health for 25 years and it feels a bit like I am going backwards.”

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