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CDC Health Advisory
On March 16, 2004, 11 families from the United States traveled as a group to China to adopt 12 children. The group remained together for about 10 days during the adoption process. On April 6, 2004, Public Health - Seattle and King County, Washington reported a laboratory confirmed case of measles in a recently adopted child from among this group. Measles is a highly infectious viral rash illness that can cause pneumonia, diarrhea, encephalitis, and death with an incubation period of 7-21 days. Infected people are considered infectious from 4 days before to 4 days following the appearance of rash.
Three children with probable measles were infectious while traveling from China to the United States on the following airline flights: United Airlines (UA) Flight # 862 from Hong Kong to San Francisco, Cathay Pacific Flight # CX 872 from Hong Kong to San Francisco, UA Flight # 476 from San Francisco to Seattle and UA Flight # 794 from San Francisco to Seattle. Persons on these flights who develop fever and/or rash on or before April 16, 2004 should be evaluated by a healthcare provider for measles.
Families from WA (7), AK (1), MD (1), NY (1) and FL (1) traveled to adopt children in China. As of April 9, 2004, of the 12 children that were adopted and traveled to the United States with their adoptive parents, 9 have developed a febrile rash illness including 4 who have been serologically confirmed to have measles. The other 5 are considered “suspected” measles cases and are under investigation. All the children are being evaluated serologically or being observed for symptoms of measles.
Adoptive parents should ensure that they and their families are appropriately immunized before traveling abroad for adoption, and should be aware of the potential for communicable diseases in children adopted from international regions.
Possible cases of measles- like rash illness should be reported to state health departments. State health departments are asked to report any possible cases under investigation to CDC (404-639-8680 or 404-639-8763).
For more information on imported cases of measles into the United States see:
Measles Outbreak Among Internationally Adopted Children Arriving in the United States, February- March 2001
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella ─ Vaccine Use and Strategies for Elimination of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome and Control of Mumps: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Measles ─ United States, 1999
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