The Westchester County Department of Health is advising the public of the potential exposure in Tarrytown to an individual with measles.  The Westchester County Department of Health was notified of this lab-confirmed case of measles on July 27 and began the investigation in association with the N.Y.S. Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Prior exposures to this infected individual may have occurred at the following places and times:
• On July 23 at a social event at the EF International Language School in Tarrytown.  This event was attended by about 200 high school students from abroad.
•  Between 5 p.m. on July 23 and noon on July 24 at the Westchester Marriott Tarrytown or in the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, or Eva’s Hair Salon, both of which are located at this hotel. 

More than 900 people, mostly from the East Coast, are believed to have been at the hotel during this period. The individual stayed at the Marriott during this time but did not visit Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or the hair salon. However, there is the potential chance that airborne transmission of the measles virus could have occurred into the restaurant or hair salon due to shared ventilation systems with the hotel. 

The EF International Language School, Marriott hotel, restaurant and hair salon have been cooperating with the Health Department to communicate with their staff members and clientele who may have been exposed.  The individual infected with measles was hospitalized, has now recovered and is no longer contagious.

While the risk to most is low because most people are likely to be immune to measles, anyone who may have been at any of the above settings during this time should contact their own physician to review their vaccinations and immunity against measles and be on the alert for symptoms of measles. Symptoms may appear as early as July 30, or as late as August 14, 2010.