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Australian Tourist May Have Exposed Museum-Goers To Measles, NYS Health Officials Say

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The New York State health department is warning people across three counties they may have been exposed to measles earlier this month.

Officials said an Australian tourist with the measles started his trip to New York at La Quinta Inn on West 71st Street on February 16 and stayed until the 19th. Anyone there at the same time may have been exposed to the virus.

"I had my vaccinations, plenty of them," one woman said.

"Everybody should," a man added. 

But Joao Sores, a tourist from Portugal, has not been vaccinated against measles.

"We eat here every day, every single day -- since Saturday until today," he said.

Sores' stay at the hotel overlapped with the infected tourist. Asked whether he will visit the doctor when he returns home, he said "maybe."

Read More: NYS Health Officials Warn Of Possible Measles Exposure

The health department said the infected tourist visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So anyone there on February 16 or 17 may have also been exposed.

"Luckily, it's over now. So I feel safe," one woman said.

"They should let people know," another added.

Officials said from there, the man went to the Watchtower Educational Center in Putnam County on February 19 and stayed at the Best Western hotel in Brooklyn that night.

Then, the man went to the Comfort Inn in Goshen, Orange County until the 21st, when he checked into the Excel Urgent Care in Goshen before moving to the medical center in Middletown – potentially spreading the measles to anyone at those locations up to two hours after leaving.

The health department said the risk of developing measles is very low, especially for people who have been immunized.

Symptoms include fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis or runny nose.

Officials said symptoms usually appear 10 to 12 days after exposure. So anyone who thinks they may have been exposed should monitor their health through the end of February.

The health department said to prevent spreading the illness, anyone who may have been exposed and who has symptoms should contact their doctor before going in for care.

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