Montgomery County Health Officials Announce Potential Measles Exposure at Bethesda Office Building

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 20, 2026

Montgomery County health officials have been notified of a Virginia resident with a confirmed case of measles who visited a building at 7200 Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda on Tuesday, Feb. 10, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Anyone who visited this building during that time period may have been exposed to measles. Read the Virginia Department of Health's press release for additional information.

Measles is a contagious, vaccine-preventable viral infection that spreads easily to unvaccinated people through coughing, sneezing, and respiratory secretions. The measles virus may remain in the air for up to two hours.

Individuals who visited the building during the possible exposure period, especially those who are not vaccinated against measles, should monitor themselves for early measles symptoms, especially fever. People who develop a fever or other measles symptoms should contact their health care provider.

• Those with symptoms should not attend child care, school, work, or be out in public, as they may have early measles symptoms and be contagious.
• Individuals with any of these symptoms who visited the building on Tuesday should call their health care provider about their symptoms before showing up in the waiting room so that the office can take measures to prevent spreading to other patients.

• Measles symptoms typically develop 10–14 days after exposure, but can appear as early as 7 days and as late as 21 days after exposure.

• Early symptoms include:

  • Fever above 101℉

  • Runny nose

  • Cough

  • Red, watery eyes

• One to four days after early symptoms begin, a red rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

• A person with measles is contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after the rash begins.

• People are considered immune to measles if they:

  • Were born in the United States before 1957

  • Previously had measles

  • Have received two measles vaccine shots

Those who may have been exposed may also call the Montgomery County Health and Human Services’ Disease Control Office at 240-777-1755 to determine their risk of contracting measles.

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Release ID: 26-059
Media Contact: Peter Sinclair 301-309-7550
Categories: Health