University of California-Berkeley student may be responsible for spreading measles

A male student studying at the University of California in Berkeley may be responsible for spreading measles on a transportation system in Northern California between Feb. 4-7, The Associated Press reported.

The student, whose name has not been disclosed due to privacy constraints, traveled to Asia recently, and people who may have come into close contact with him are being contacted already, according to Kim LaPean, university health services spokeswoman.

Dr. Brad Buchman, director of University Health Services, said: "We want to be on the lookout for any new individuals who may have developed symptoms." He also confirmed that approximately 300 measles vaccines are going to be distributed around campus for people who want to receive protection against the disease.

Ericka Jenssen, disease program director for Contra Costa Health Services, confirmed that people who were within the same area as the infected student, as well as those who were there on board the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) for at least one or two hours after he left, may be at a higher risk of contamination. People who have not received a measles vaccine are also at a high risk.

The measles virus can stay suspended in the air for up to two hours and some of its symptoms are similar to a common cold, the difference being that a rash usually appears between seven and 10 days in the case of measles.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 189 people nationally who were reported to have had measles last year. This figure represented the second largest number of cases in the United States since the year 2000. Approximately 28 percent of these cases contracted measles while they were in other countries.