LA County Health Officials Diagnose 2 More Cases Of Measles

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA)  -- Officials with the LA County Health Department Saturday have diagnosed two more cases of measles and want to warn the public.

Those who have not been vaccinated should be careful, health officials say.

CBS2/KCAL9's Greg Mills spoke to a doctor who discussed the precautions.

"It's highly contagious," says Dr. Suman Radhakrishna, an infectious disease specialist at Dignity Health California Hospital.

Authorities have tracked the latest case to one known person who exposed others at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood on Friday, June 7.

They even know that person was at the venue from 8-11 p.m.

"Hopefully, they disinfected the theater. We'll hope for the best," said Marsha Niles who came today to enjoy Sherlock Holmes.

The person with the measles was here two weeks ago, so she wasn't terribly concerned she would catch it Saturday.

"I think I had the measles vaccine many, many years ago," she says.

The Public Health department says someone with measles spent the evening at Toscana restaurant in Brentwood on June 8th from 7-11 p.m .

Worried you might have been exposed if you were at either place?

"Typically, most people have symptoms in about two weeks," says Dr. Radhakrishna. But symptoms have been known to show up in three.

Symptoms of the measles include rash, fever, cough and runny nose. And doctors want not to take measles lightly.

The disease can be highly dangerous for some people.

"People who have immune issues, like diabetes, are at risk of dying from measles,
From pneumonia, meningitis any other complications that come with it," says Dr. Radhakrishna.

"It can kill. We forget that. We think that measles is one of those childhood things that everybody gets over. That's not true," says the doctor.

Officials say 10 county residents have come down with measles this year and eight confirmed cases from people passing through Los Angeles.

Mills spoke to people who said they don't know if they ever had the measles vaccine or can't remember if they did.

There are two simple options.  Dr. Radhakrishna says -- to get a blood test to see if they have immunity or get a shot.