An individual who passed through Reston earlier this month might have exposed community members to measles, the Virginia Department of Health says.
The VDH was notified yesterday (Thursday) that a resident of another state with a confirmed measles case had traveled through Northern Virginia while infections on Aug. 16.
“To protect the patient’s privacy, VDH will not release additional information,” the state health department said in a press release. “Health officials are working to identify and notify people who may have been exposed.”
While in Reston that day, the individual visited four locations along Sunrise Valley Drive that are now being monitored as potential exposure sites:
- Sheraton Reston Hotel (11810 Sunrise Valley Drive)
- MOTW Coffee and Pastries (11830 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 200)
- 7-Eleven (11854 Sunrise Valley Drive)
- Barber & Men’s Spa (11830 Sunrise Valley Drive, Unit 900)
The VDH didn’t specify when the person was present at those sites, except for the barber, which they visited between 4:30 and 5 p.m.
“Most people in Virginia have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low,” the VDH said.
However, health officials are urging anyone who was at the potential exposure sites on Aug. 16 to report their presence to VDH, confirm whether they’re up to date on the two doses of vaccine recommended for most people, and watch out for symptoms for 21 days after the possible exposure, especially if they’re not vaccinated.
More from VDH on measles symptoms and vaccinations:
Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after being exposed. The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.
Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection. Virginia has high measles vaccination rates, with approximately 95% of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles. However, infants who are too young to be vaccinated, and others who are not vaccinated, are at high risk of developing measles if they are exposed. Infants six months through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally, or to an outbreak setting, should receive one dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about the MMR vaccine.
Anyone who notices symptoms should immediately isolate themselves and contact their health care provider, VDH says. If anyone was exposed on Aug. 16, they would most likely become sick between Aug. 23 and Sept. 6.
As of yesterday, Virginia has recorded 179 measles cases this year, including previous exposures in Fairfax County and 154 cases tied to an outbreak in Buckingham and Cumberland counties. Started on May 5, the outbreak was declared over on Aug. 19 after 42 days passed without a new case.
All but eight of the people who’ve gotten infected in Virginia were unvaccinated, according to the VDH’s measles dashboard. Nine people have been hospitalized, but no one has died from the illness this year.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only six measles cases were reported in Virginia for the entirety of 2025.
