Health Department

From the Virginia Department of Health (VDH)The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was notified of a confirmed case of measles that traveled through Washington Dulles International Airport Saturday, January 24. The person is a resident of another state. To protect the patient’s privacy, VDH will not provide any additional information about the patient. Health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed, including contacting potentially exposed passengers on specific flights.Listed below are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites in Virginia:Dulles International Airport (IAD): in Concourse B, on transportation to the International Arrivals Building (IAB) and in the baggage claim area between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday, January 24.Dulles shuttle bus to the rental car facilities between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Saturday, January 24.Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website.What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to MeaslesMost people in Virginia have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. However, anyone who was at the potential exposure sites at the times listed should:Report your exposure to the Loudoun County Health Department by completing this short survey. Public health officials will follow up with respondents if additional actions are needed.Find out if you have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously. Make sure you are up to date with the recommended number of measles (MMR) vaccinations.To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the VDH Record Request Portal.If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected and do not need to seek post-exposure treatment at this time.People who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles should contact their healthcare provider or call their local health department promptly to discuss any questions they might have. If you have already completed the above survey, your local health department will reach out to you to provide recommendations if additional actions are needed.Watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure. Monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles.If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home. Contact your healthcare provider right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to notify the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff.The most likely time you would become sick from this exposure would be between January 31 and February 14.Contact your local health department or email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov to discuss any additional recommendations.General Measles InformationMeasles 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.To date in 2026, Virginia has four reported cases of measles. For more information about measles visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/.

Do you know someone or an organization who deserves to be celebrated for their efforts in improving the health of the Fairfax community? The Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax seeks nominations for its 2026 Live Healthy Fairfax Award. This award recognizes individuals, businesses, agencies, and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and action to improve the health and well-being of the Fairfax community.The Live Healthy Fairfax Award recognizes those who go “above and beyond” in three priority areas:Promoting Behavioral Health: Promoting social and emotional wellness for all.Healthy Eating (Fairfax Food Council): Promoting the accessibility, availability, and affordability of healthy eating for all.Healthy Environment and Active Living: Improving the community environment to support active living and good health for all.Nominees may include people who volunteer to lead health-related activities, businesses that help their employees and customers stay healthy, or organizations that address social determinants of health. The intention is to recognize efforts that improve community health in lasting and meaningful ways.Live Healthy Fairfax Award Eligibility Criteria:Nominees can be individuals, businesses, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, government programs/agencies, schools and other educational organizations.All nominees must be nominated for actions that impact the health of individuals and/or populations in the Fairfax Health District. The Fairfax Health District is defined as Fairfax County (including the incorporated towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna), Fairfax City, and the City of Falls Church.The achievement must have occurred during the period of eligibility or over a period of years including a portion of the eligibility period. It may be for a specific service, a particular accomplishment, or an accumulation of accomplishments.The award recognizes those who have provided service(s) as paid employees as well as volunteer commitments.Eligible nominees cannot have been awarded a Live Healthy Fairfax Award in the previous five years. After five years, renominations of past winners are welcome. Nominees who have previously won an individual award may be included in a group award nomination. And those who have been a part of a group award remain eligible for an individual award.Nominations can be submitted by completing this online nomination form.The application process to nominate a person or entity for a Live Healthy Fairfax Award is now open. The deadline to submit a nomination is Monday, March 2. Award winners will be notified no later than Friday, May 1. Awards will be presented at the Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax’s spring meeting. For any questions about the awards or the nomination process, contact Gillian Kimura, Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax Program Coordinator, by email at Gillian.Kimura@fairfaxcounty.gov or phone 571-595-5096.

Original article posted in Fairfax County's Golden Gazette.Fairfax County Health Department staff member Mamata shared her antibiotics expertise with older adults in the February 2026 edition of Golden Gazette. Standing in the middle of my kitchen one morning, my husband asked me a simple question: “What do you actually do at work?”I had been in my new role for four months and I tried to explain it in everyday terms.“My role,” I explained, “is to support antibiotic stewardship in skilled nursing facilities. I help people use antibiotics carefully and only when they’re truly needed.”He laughed and said, “Isn’t that what you’ve been saying for years?”He was right, and that moment reminded me how closely my work aligns with what I’ve always believed: antibiotics are powerful medicine, and they should be used wisely.Antibiotics are one of the greatest medical discoveries of our time. They have saved millions of lives and prevented countless complications. But like all medications, antibiotics come with risks. They can’t tell the difference between harmful bacteria and “good” bacteria, like the ones that help us digest food and keep our bodies in balance. When those helpful bacteria are wiped out, tougher germs like Clostridioides difficile (often called C. diff) can take over. C. diff may cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, hospitalization, and even death, and because it survives for a long time in the environment, may spread to others.So when people ask, “What’s the harm in taking an antibiotic just to be safe?” The answer is sometimes: quite a lot.Antibiotics are frequently prescribed in long-term care facilities, often inappropriately. Up to 70% of nursing home residents receive one or more courses of antibiotics in a year, and an estimated 40-75% of those prescriptions are unnecessary or inappropriate according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Not long ago, I faced the same dilemma many families experience when caring for an older loved one. My mother, who has diabetes and other chronic conditions, came to visit us. Like many older adults abroad, she travels with her medications and worries about the cost and stress of seeking medical care while away from home.One morning, she told me she thought she might have a urinary tract infection and asked whether she should start an antibiotic she had brought “just in case.” She said she was going to the bathroom more often than usual and felt a little confused. When I checked on her, she was alert, answering normally, and had no fever. While her symptoms were uncomfortable, nothing clearly pointed to an infection.Testing her urine wasn’t the best option either. Up to half of older adults have bacteria in their urine without having an infection. These bacteria live there harmlessly. Treating someone for bacteria that is not causing an infection doesn’t help them. It can actually increase the risk of developing an antibiotic-resistant infection later.Instead of rushing to start antibiotics, we chose to monitor her closely. I checked on her throughout the day, encouraged her to drink fluids, and kept a careful eye on her symptoms. By the next day, she felt completely fine. We realized her symptoms were caused by too much caffeine, not by an infection.This small moment reflects a much bigger issue. When antibiotics are used when they’re not needed, bacteria can learn to resist them. Over time, this makes infections harder to treat. In the United States, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result, according to the CDC's 2019 Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Threats Report.We all play a role in keeping antibiotics effective and keeping our loved ones safe. So, the next time you or a loved one considers taking an antibiotic “just in case,” consider the potential harms and see a healthcare provider who can do a complete evaluation to see whether an antibiotic is needed. Perhaps keeping a close watch (active monitoring) is a better choice. Understanding the “why” behind a healthcare provider’s recommendation can help you feel confident that they are making the safest choice.There will always be times when antibiotics are necessary but using them only when they’re truly needed helps ensure they will continue to work when we depend on them most.Resources and ReferencesU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Antibiotic Use and Antimicrobial Resistance - cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/data-research/facts-stats/index.htmlCDC: Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) Infection Information - cdc.gov/c-diff/index.htmlCDC: Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes - cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/hcp/core-elements/nursing-homes-antibiotic-stewardship.htmlFairfax County Health Department / Older Adult Health & Wellness Resources - FairfaxCounty.gov/familyservices/older-adultsAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Antibiotic Stewardship in Long-Term Care - ahrq.gov/antibiotic-use/long-term-care/index.html