Health officials in D.C. on alert after person exposes Amtrak rail passengers to measles
The infected person took an Amtrak train from New York to the District of Columbia and visited an urgent care facility while contagious, officials said.
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The Washington, D.C, Department of Health said Tuesday it is investigating a confirmed measles case. The infected person took the Amtrak from New York to D.C. and visited an urgent-care facility while contagious. A vaccine can prevent measles with effectiveness at approximately 97% when two doses are taken. (File Photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Lotz/U.S. Air Force).
March 26 (UPI) -- In Washington, D.C., the Department of Health said Tuesday it is investigating a confirmed measles case.
The infected person took an Amtrak train from New York to the District of Columbia and visited an urgent care facility while contagious, officials said.
"[D.C.] Health was notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who visited multiple locations in [D.C.] while contagious," health officials said in a statement. '[D.C.] Health is informing people who were at these locations that they may have been exposed."
Amtrak said in a statement, "[D.C.] Public Health has notified Amtrak of a confirmed case of measles in a customer traveling on Amtrak Train 175 from New York to Washington Union Station on Wednesday, March 19. Amtrak is reaching out directly to customers who were on this train to notify them of possible exposure."
The unidentified person was aboard Amtrak's Northeast Regional 175 train southbound March 19 between 7:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The person was also at the Amtrak Concourse at Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE in D.C. from 11:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., and at MedStar Urgent Care Adams Morgan between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. March 22.
People at those locations during those times who might have been exposed and are not immune are urged to contact their healthcare provider for more guidance.
"Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes," the DC health department said in a statement. "Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, a runny nose, watery red eyes and a cough. These symptoms usually start 7 to 14 days after being exposed."
So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 378 measles cases across at least 17 states, as well as in DC.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center infectious diseases director Dr. Glenn Wortmann said in a statement, "It's being spread in communities much more widely than we have seen in the past, and the way to stop that from happening is keep your vaccination rates up."
The Washington Post, citing D.C. chief epidemiologist Brittani Saafir-Callaway, said the contagious person had been vaccinated and was not hospitalized.
Minnesota health officials confirmed Wednesday that the person in question lives in Hennepin County and had recently traveled both domestically and internationally.
People who have gotten two doses of measles vaccine or were born prior to 1957 are immune and no action is recommended for them.
On March 21, the number of measles cases in Texas was greater than the number of measles infections in the entire United States in 2024.
According to the CDC, one person is confirmed to have died from measles in 2025 and a second death is under investigation.
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