Anyone who was at Tucson International Airport on April 29 from 6am to 10:40 pm. may have been exposed to the measles virus, "said ADHS Director Cara Christ. (Photo: Getty Images)

A traveler with measles exposed the virus in Arizona after his flight to New York last month in Tucson, said Wednesday the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Anyone who was at Tucson International Airport on April 29 from 6am to 10:40 pm. may have been exposed to the virus, "said ADHS Director Cara Christ.

"As far as we know, the only community exposure is the Tucson International Airport," Christ said.

Christ said that people likely to have been exposed should watch for flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, watery eyes, coughs and fever. This is especially true for people who have not yet received the vaccines to protect themselves from the virus.

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If symptoms appear, it is important to inform the doctor before visiting her so that health care providers can take precautions to avoid exposing other patients, Christ added.

Health officials in New York informed ADHS of exposure to measles, discovered after the traveler returned to New York. Public health emergencies related to measles have been reported in New York and Rockland County, NY.

Arizona health officials are waiting for the flight manifest to alert passengers on board the contagious traveler's plane.

"We are working closely with local, state, and other public health partners to ensure that we can quickly identify any possible exposures that may have occurred while visiting Pima County," said Marcy. Flanagan, director of Pima County Department of Health.

The exhibition is the second incident related to measles in Arizona this year. In March, a 1-year-old child from Pima County was diagnosed with measles. No other cases have been reported.

"We know that Arizona is under threat because we do not have the level of vaccination required in Arizona to protect our communities," Christ said. "It is therefore very important that if you are not vaccinated, if your family is not vaccinated, the time has come to do so, because we know that measles is very prevalent in the United States and that several epidemics are taking place at the national level.

"And it's just a plane ride."

LILY: Arizona is part of the second largest measles outbreak in the United States since 2000

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arizona is among the 22 states that have had the highest number of measles cases since reporting the virus in 2000. The agency said more than 700 cases had been reported across the country this year and almost 80 appeared in one week last month.

Arizona could see an epidemic if the infected traveler was in contact with a person not immune to the virus.

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The disease vaccine, MMR, protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Children and adults can be vaccinated with a primary care doctor, a vaccination clinic or a pharmacy.

For children without health insurance, free vaccines are available at immunization clinics across the country.

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