College student diagnosed with measles visited restaurants, retail stores, airport

A college student in Boston has been diagnosed with measles, health officials said Friday.

The student, who attends Northeastern University and lives in Boston, was diagnosed on Jan. 8.

During the period that the student was infectious, they visited campus locations, including dormitories, dining halls and classrooms, as well as Logan International Airport and a variety of stores and restaurants, according to the Boston Public Health Commission.

Anyone who visited those locations between Jan. 3 and Jan. 6 could have been exposed to the infectious disease.

"Measles is a dangerous disease and can cause serious complications, but it is preventable," Dr. Jennifer Lo, medical director of the Boston Public Health Commission said in a statement. "The best way for everyone to protect themselves is to get vaccinated. If you don't know your immunity status, call your health care provider."

Anyone who's been vaccinated against the measles, or who has had the disease in the past, is unlikely to become ill.

Measles outbreaks are a pressing concern following 2019, in which 1,282 people were diagnosed, the most in the United States since 1992, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Globally, there were 400,000 cases reported to the World Health Organization as of early November 2019.