Heli-Expo Source Of Measles Outbreak

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If you brought something home from Heli-Expo other than a nifty swag bag and a latent desire to hang a machine gun on your chopper, then the Center for Disease Control wants to know about it. The CDC has sent an e-mail letter (PDF) to everyone who registered for the event in early March to tell them that at least five of their fellow show-goers came down with measles. Since they were all at the show, the CDC is presuming that someone at the Orange County Convention Center with an unrecognized case of the disease was the source of the outbreak. It’s already too late for those who picked up a dose of the highly contagious illness at the show but since measles can be serious for some, the CDC wants to try and prevent further spread, something that might be a challenge given that attendees came from all over the world.

Anyone who got sick after getting home from Orlando should see his or her doctor so the local health authorities can be notified. That way, those who might have been in contact with an infected show-goer can be vaccinated. U.S. residents with questions about the notice can contact the Orange County Health Department at 407-858-1400. Visitors from outside the U.S. can call the CDC at 800-232-4636. Measles information is also available here.

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