MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee health officials confirmed Tuesday that no additional measles cases have been identified in connection with an infected passenger who flew from Phoenix to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on January 29.
City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis provided an update on the situation, revealing that six potential contacts from the flight are Milwaukee residents, with additional potential contacts living outside the city.
Totoraitis could not provide an exact number of total contacts being monitored.
The infected passenger was traveling to Walworth County when they passed through Milwaukee's airport on Southwest Airlines Flight WN-266, which arrived between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. on January 29.
Health officials are awaiting wastewater data expected later this week that will indicate whether there are any measles cases in Milwaukee or surrounding jurisdictions.
The Milwaukee Health Department is also working with airport officials to ensure all staff are aware of the potential exposure.
Watch: Health officials monitoring six Milwaukee residents who may have been exposed to measles on flight
"Measles can stay aerosolized in the air for up to 2 hours after an infectious person is present in that room. And we also know of cases where shared air handling can spread a visrus throughout an entire building. So we want to make sure everyone who was at the airport was safe during that time," Totoraitis said.
Milwaukee residents can receive a free MMR vaccine from the Milwaukee Health Department regardless of insurance status.
"We are concerned. And I think parents who haven't had their kids up to date on their vaccines…call your local health department, call your provider. Make a plan to get vaccinated," Totoraitis said.
Symptoms of the measles virus include a runny nose, a high fever, tiredness, coughing, red, watery eyes, or conjunctivitis, and a red rash that begins at the hairline and moves down towards the arms and legs around three to five days after symptoms begin.
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