Update: Measles among adoptees from China—April 14, 2004 - Brief Report

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 16, 2004

As of April 14, 2004, investigators had identified six confirmed and three suspected cases of measles among the 12 adoptees from China who departed for the United States on March 26 (1). Three other children remain under observation by public health authorities. The latest confirmed cases of measles were in an adoptee aged 13 months who traveled to New York state and in an adoptee aged 12 months who traveled to Washington state.

Among the nine children with either confirmed or suspected measles, three had been considered infectious while traveling. A fourth child has been identified as potentially infectious during travel on the following commercial airline flights:

* March 26, China Southern flight 327 from Guangzhou, China, to Los Angeles

* March 27, Delta Airlines flight 484 from Los Angeles to Cincinnati

* March 27, Delta Airlines flight 518 from Cincinnati to Washington, DC.

Persons on these flights who have fever and rash on or before April 17 should be evaluated for measles by a healthcare provider. Although the typical incubation period for measles from exposure to rash onset is approximately 10 days (range: 7-18 days), on rare occasions the incubation period can be as long as 19-21 days.

Other children adopted recently from China, not identified by this investigation, might have been exposed to measles and become potentially infectious. Health-care providers should remain vigilant for measles among persons with febrile rash illness. Persons with suspected measles should be reported immediately to local public health officials.

Reference (1.) CDC. Multistate investigation of measles among adoptees from China--April 9, 2004. MMWR 2004;53:309-10.

Reported by: Alaska Dept of Health and Social Svcs. Florida Dept of Health. Maryland Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene. New York State Dept of Health. Public Health--Seattle and King County; Snohomish Health District; Washington State Department of Health. Epidemiology and Surveillance Div, National Immunization Program; Div of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.