State Health Department: Person with Measles Visited Huddle

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - State Health Officials say a person with measles not only visited the Super Bowl Village last Friday, but the person also spent time inside the Huddle.

The Huddle (formerly Nordstrom’s) included the WISH-TV Super Bowl Studios along with a Lids Store and a nightclub.

Friday, Marion County Health Officials notified WISH-TV that the person visited the Huddle between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. last Friday. We are told the patient also spent time inside Rock Bottom restaurant, the Starbucks on the Circle, and the Pro Shop at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Health officials emphasize, however, that anyone who believes they are showing signs of the illness should contact their physician.

Two cases of measles in Hamilton County have been confirmed by the State. Health officials suspect there may be two more in Boone County but say there is no need to be alarmed.

If you get measles, symptoms will show up within the week says State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin. Those symptoms include a fever, usually high as much as 105 degrees, runny nose, red eyes and a respiratory infection. But Larkin says you're odds of getting the disease is very, very small, even if you were standing right next to the person with measles, as long as you had at least one measles shot.

The Health Department says if you are concerned you may have measles, call your health care provider and describe your symptoms over the phone.

"It's unlikely you'll need any additional protection. However if there's a concern with either you or your physician they can do blood test to confirm your protection," he says.

If you were born before 1957 you have natural immunity because you either got measles or were exposed to someone who had the disease. Born after that, odds are strong you were immunized against the disease as a child and still have immunity.

"It's 99 at least percent effective. Immunization is conferred lifetime through a series of childhood vaccines," says Larkin.

If you don't know if you were immunized, or you can't contact your childhood doctor, don't worry. You can contact your current physician who can check the state immunization data base, known as CHIRP, and find out your immunization records.

Because so many out of state visitors were in town at the time, the Centers for Disease Control has been notified of the Indiana measles cases.