Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) passengers in San Francisco may have been exposed to measles after an infected individual used the train to commute between work and home over three days last week, Contra Costa County health officials warned Wednesday.
Contra Costa County Public Health (CCPH) officials issued an advisory Wednesday after learning that the county’s first individual confirmed to have the measles rode the train to and from work during rush hour on Feb. 4-6 before being diagnosed, according to local ABC affiliate KGO. CCPH and the San Fransisco Department of Public Health are working together to investigate the man’s whereabouts over the past week, as well as working with the man’s employer to clear other employees.
In addition to riding the train, the man visited E&O Kitchen and Bar between 5:30-7:00 p.m. on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 4. Officials are warning that anyone who visited the restaurant in that time frame could be exposed to measles.
“Measles is circulating in the Bay Area and we don’t know yet where this person was exposed,” CCPH spokeswoman Erika Jenssen said in a statement. “The ongoing measles outbreak in California highlights the need for people to be vaccinated, and this is just another example of how interconnected our region is and how important it is for everyone to be up to date on their immunizations.”
Officials said that for vaccinated individuals, the risk of contracting measles from the BART system is low.
Last month, Santa Clara County health officials issued a warning after a measles-infected person shopped at a Costco in Gilroy.