PHOENIX Local health officials announced Monday that a person infected with the measles traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport last week.

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health said the public exposure occurred between 5 p.m. and midnight on June 10 in Concourses C and D of Terminal 4, beyond the security checkpoints.

MCDPH is coordinating with other agencies to notify people who may have been exposed so they can watch for symptoms and get care if any develop, Dr. Nick Staab, MCDPH chief medical officer, said in a press release.

With a virus as highly infectious as measles, its a reminder that we all should stay up-to-date on our vaccines to keep ourselves and those around us safe.

When a passenger is confirmed to have measles, anyone who was on the same plane will be notified by local health officials, per routine.

Measles is both highly contagious and preventable, Staab said. It can cause severe illness, including death, so we strongly encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated to get vaccinated to prevent further spread.

How many measles cases are confirmed in Arizona in 2025?

As of June 9, the Arizona Department of Health Services had confirmed four cases of measles in the state, all in Navajo County.

All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel.

There have been 1,197 confirmed cases this year nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles is a respiratory disease caused by one of the worlds most contagious viruses. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.

The virus first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

It usually doesnt kill people, but it can.

Among children with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, the CDC said, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.

Vaccination rates declining since COVID pandemic

The best way to avoid the ailment is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.

Just over 88% of Arizonas kindergarten students had two doses of the MMR vaccine in the 2023-24 school year, per the most recent data available from the state health department.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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