Measles Concerns Grow in Rochester Area Following Multiple Exposure Alerts

Monroe County health officials are urging residents to check their vaccination status and watch for symptoms of measles following multiple potential exposures in the Rochester area this month, including two involving travelers who passed through Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport.

The Monroe County Department of Public Health announced Sept. 17 that individuals who later tested positive for measles traveled through the Rochester airport on Sept. 8 and Sept. 13. The infected travelers are not Monroe County residents and were passing through Rochester on their way to another destination.

Health officials say anyone who was inside the airport between 3:20 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sept. 8 may have been exposed and should monitor for symptoms through Sept. 29.

People who were at the airport between 11:20 p.m. Sept. 13 and 2 a.m. Sept. 14 should monitor themselves through Oct. 5.

Monroe County residents who were on affected flights and require specific guidance will be contacted directly by the county health department.

The airport warnings come shortly after another potential measles exposure at Strong Memorial Hospital.

An individual who tested positive for measles visited Strong's adult and pediatric emergency departments between 11 p.m. Sept. 7 and 2 a.m. Sept. 8, according to county health officials. That individual also was not a Monroe County resident.

The county and Strong Memorial Hospital have been reviewing records to identify patients who may have been exposed. Those without documented evidence of immunity are being contacted.

Visitors and people accompanying patients, however, may not appear in hospital records. Anyone who was in the emergency department during the identified period has been advised to monitor for symptoms through Sept. 28.

The Rochester-area exposures come as New York is experiencing an increase in measles cases.

As of Sept. 12, 51 confirmed measles cases had been reported in New York in 2026, slightly exceeding the total reported during all of 2025, according to state data cited by WXXI. Most of the state's cases this year have involved adults.

Despite the recent exposure alerts, Monroe County's health department says there have been no confirmed measles cases among county residents since 2019. The people responsible for the recent Rochester-area exposure alerts lived outside Monroe County.

That distinction is important: an exposure alert does not mean a local outbreak has occurred.

County officials also say the risk of becoming ill is relatively low for people who have immunity through vaccination or a previous measles infection.

Still, measles is considered one of the world's most contagious infectious diseases.

The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Virus particles can remain in the air or on surfaces for as long as two hours after an infected individual has left an area, according to the county health department.

What Symptoms Should Residents Watch For?

Measles symptoms typically begin about 10 to 12 days after exposure but can take as long as 21 days to appear.

Early symptoms can include a runny nose, cough, fever and red or light-sensitive eyes. Fever can eventually climb to between 103 and 105 degrees. Small bluish-white spots can also develop inside the mouth.

Several days later, a red, blotchy rash typically begins on the face and spreads downward across the body toward the hands and feet.

People with measles can spread the virus before they realize they have the disease. An infected person can be contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after it develops.

Health officials say infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are among those at greater risk of serious illness. Measles can lead to complications including pneumonia and encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

Vaccination Rates Draw Attention

The renewed measles activity is also putting attention on vaccination rates.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — commonly known as the MMR vaccine — is the primary method of preventing measles. Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing the disease, according to Monroe County health officials.

County data show a notable difference depending on the population measured.

As of Jan. 1, 2025, Monroe County's MMR vaccination rate among children ages 24 to 35 months who had received at least one dose before their second birthday was 87.4%. However, approximately 99.7% of children attending public, private and parochial schools in Monroe County were vaccinated against measles during the 2023-24 school year, according to state school immunization data cited by the county.

New research highlighted by WXXI suggests countywide vaccination averages may not tell the entire story.

Researchers found that individual schools or school districts can have substantially lower vaccination rates than their surrounding county, potentially creating pockets where measles can spread more easily.

New York requires children attending day care and pre-K through 12th grade to receive required vaccinations unless they have a valid medical exemption. The state does not permit religious or other nonmedical exemptions from school vaccination requirements.

What Residents Should Do

Monroe County health officials are encouraging residents who are uncertain about their vaccination history to contact their health care provider or the health department.

People who develop symptoms after a possible exposure should call their doctor or emergency department before arriving for treatment so medical personnel can take precautions to prevent additional exposures.

They also should avoid work, school and other public places while potentially infectious.

Monroe County residents who believe they may have been exposed or develop symptoms can contact the Monroe County Department of Public Health at 585-753-5555.

For now, county officials have not reported a locally acquired measles outbreak. But with several exposure alerts occurring within a matter of weeks and cases increasing statewide, health officials are emphasizing vaccination and early recognition of symptoms as the primary tools for preventing the virus from spreading further.