Amidst growing concern over a worldwide measles outbreak, a flight attendant for Israeli national carrier El Al has contracted the disease.
The woman, said to be in her 40s, worked a New York to Tel Aviv flight last week and has been hospitalized in serious condition, according to The Times of Israel.
The Israeli Health Ministry is warning anyone who flew on El Al Flight 002 on March 26 originating from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to seek medical attention immediately if they develop symptoms.
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According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), measles typically begins with high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots known as Koplik spots may appear inside the mouth.
Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
Measles is highly infectious, hence the fear it could spread even more through travel. Twice during the month of March officials in Los Angeles County warned travelers that a person with measles flew into Los Angeles International Airport.
Also last month, Illinois Department of Public Health officials warned that an unvaccinated and infectious person traveled through Chicago’s Midway Airport. Officials suggested anyone who was at the airport on Feb. 22 between 9 p.m. and midnight should be on alert for symptoms.
There has been an unusually high number of cases globally, to the point where there have been more reported cases in the U.S. in the first three months of this year than in all of 2018.
New York’s Rockland County, a suburb of New York City, last week declared a state of emergency over the outbreak—to the point where anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles will be barred from public places until this declaration expires in 30 days or until they receive the MMR vaccination.
According to The Times, Israel has seen an outbreak of measles and has recorded 3,600 cases since March 2018.
