Notes from the field: measles transmission at a domestic terminal gate in an international airport - United States, January 2014

Abstract

In March 2014, CDC identified a possible cluster of four laboratory-confirmed measles cases among passengers transiting a domestic terminal in a U.S. international airport. Through epidemiologic assessments conducted by multiple health departments and investigation of flight itineraries by CDC, all four patients were linked to the same terminal gate during a 4-hour period on January 17, 2014. Patient 1, an unvaccinated man aged 21 years with rash onset February 1, traveled on two domestic flights on January 17 and 18 that connected at the international airport. Patient 2, an unvaccinated man aged 49 years with rash onset February 1, traveled from the airport on January 17. Patient 3, an unvaccinated man aged 19 years with rash onset January 30, traveled domestically with at least a 4-hour layover at the airport on January 17. Patient 4, an unvaccinated man aged 63 years with rash onset February 5, traveled on a flight to the airport on January 17.