Measles case confirmed in LA County resident who visited many local businesses, traveled through LAX

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A case of measles has been confirmed in a Los Angeles County resident who recently traveled through the Los Angeles International airport, the county's Department of Public Health announced in a statement Tuesday.

It is the first confirmed case of measles in a LA County resident in 2025, according to the department.

Passengers assigned to specific seats that may have been exposed on China Airlines flight CAL8/ CI8 that arrived in Los Angeles on March 5 will be notified by local departments of health in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control.

Additionally, individuals who were at the following locations on the specified dates and times may be at risk of developing measles due to exposure to this individual:

• Wednesday, March 5 between 7 p.m. to 10:40 p.m.: Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) at the Los Angeles International (LAX) Airport

• Friday, March 7, between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Cloud 9 Nail Salon, 5142 N. Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601

• Monday, March 10 between 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: Superior Grocery Store, 10683 Valley Blvd., El Monte, CA 91731

RELATED: As measles outbreak grows, how vulnerable is LA County, and do you need a booster? Expert weighs in

The Fresno County Department of Public Health also confirmed a measles case on Tuesday.

Last month, Orange county also confirmed a case of measles in an infant who traveled through LAX.

The LA County health department says the local cases "highlights the importance of vaccinations."

There have also been measles outbreaks reported in Texas and New Mexico.

In Texas, there are at least 223 cases, 25 more than what was reported just a few days ago. At least 29 of those patients have been hospitalized.

In February, an unvaccinated school-aged child died of measles in Texas.

New Mexico also recently reported 30 cases of measles.

Officials haven't confirmed if there's a connection between the two outbreaks, but they said lower vaccination rates are leading to the outbreaks.

"Measles is not a harmless childhood infection. You know, if you look at the Texas outbreak in particular, a little over 1 in 5 people are ending up in a hospital," said Jim McDonald, New York State Department of Health commissioner.

"I do worry that as immunization rates continue to erode, that these, the children will once again suffer," said Dr. Paul Offit, Director of Vaccine Education.

Vermont is also reporting the state's first case of measles this year in a school-aged child.

What is measles?

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious illness. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms often begin one to two weeks after exposure. Early symptoms can look like other common respiratory illnesses starting with a high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and white spots in the mouth.

MORE: 5 key questions about measles answered amid outbreak

Correction: A previous version of this article stated one in nine people exposed to the measles virus will become infected if they don't have immunity. This has since been corrected.