Infected Traveler Exposed Public To Measles At Sky Harbor

Maricopa County health officials are advising the public that a person infectious with measles traveled through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

MCDPH is working with federal, state, and airport officials to protect travelers who may have been exposed.

Details of the public exposure are: 

• Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Terminal 4, beyond security checkpoints, Concourses C and D
• Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
• Time: 5PM to midnight

Routinely, anyone who was on the same flight as a person with a confirmed case of measles will be notified directly by their local public health department.

Measles can linger in the air for up to two hours after the infectious person leaves, and the stated exposure window includes that time.

Measles spreads by direct contact with an infected person or through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person with measles can give the disease to other people even before they feel sick. Measles can cause serious illness, especially in young children, pregnant women and people with depressed immune systems.

Approximately 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to measles will become infected. Measles is preventable with two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, typically given during childhood. Adults need at least one dose of MMR vaccine given after the age of one. Individuals born before 1957 or who had measles as a child are considered immune.

Anyone who may have been exposed should watch for symptoms, which typically appear seven to 12 days after exposure but may take up to 21 days. Symptoms of measles include:

• • Fever (101° F or higher)
  • Red, watery eyes
  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • A rash that is red, raised, and blotchy
    • The rash begins after other symptoms, usually on the face at the hairline, and moves down the body.
    • The rash may last five to six days.
• Individuals who develop any symptoms of measles should self-isolate, stay away from others and seek medical care. Symptomatic individuals who do not have a healthcare provider may need to be seen at a local hospital emergency room or urgent care center. People with measles symptoms should first call their healthcare provider or the medical facility before going in. They will let you know when to visit their office so others in the waiting area are not exposed.

MCDPH is encouraging healthcare providers to be alert for unvaccinated patients with fever and rash, especially if they have a known exposure. Healthcare providers are required to report suspect cases of measles to their local health department.

“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,” said Dr. Nick Staab, Chief Medical Officer for MCDPH.