Two Measles Cases Detected in Manhattan, City Health Officials Say

Two cases of measles have been identified in Manhattan, city officials said Monday, prompting contact tracing and a call for testing and vaccination among potentially exposed people.

Manhattan borough president Mark Levine said the cases were detected in the Lower East Side and SoHo neighborhoods. He said the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is "reaching out to people who may have been exposed to encourage testing." Officials have not released identifying details about the patients and it was not immediately clear whether they are city residents or recent travelers.

Health officials typically investigate measles cases by identifying and notifying close contacts, offering testing, and recommending vaccination or, in some circumstances, post-exposure prophylaxis. Measles is highly contagious and can spread to unvaccinated people who share airspace with an infected person, often before a rash appears. Symptoms commonly begin with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash several days later; serious complications can include pneumonia and encephalitis.

The city did not immediately detail where or when exposures occurred. Public health guidance generally advises that people who are unsure of their vaccination status or who are unvaccinated receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. For persons recently exposed, health authorities may recommend MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure to help prevent or reduce illness, or immune globulin within six days for people at high risk of severe disease, such as infants, pregnant people and the immunocompromised.

New York City last confronted a major measles outbreak in 2019, when cases clustered in certain communities and led to emergency public-health measures aimed at increasing vaccination coverage. Health officials have repeatedly cited high vaccination rates as the most effective means to prevent sustained spread of the virus.

City health officials said they will provide further information to the public as their investigation continues. People who believe they may have been exposed or who develop symptoms consistent with measles are advised to contact a health care provider before visiting clinical settings, to minimize potential transmission, and to follow instructions from public-health authorities regarding testing and isolation.

Local and state health departments, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maintain guidance about measles prevention, testing and treatment, and officials said they will update the public if additional cases are confirmed.