BART warns riders about potential measles exposure

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has issued a warning advising passengers to be on the alert for potential signs of measles infection, following news of an individual riding one of the trains before being diagnosed with the virus.

While public health officials acknowledged a very low likelihood of infection for most people, they nevertheless noted an increased risk for pregnant women, unvaccinated people or those with weakened immune systems.

"Measles is circulating in the [San Francisco] Bay Area and we don't know yet where this person was exposed," said Erika Jenssen, Communicable Disease Program chief with Contra Costa Public Health. "The ongoing measles outbreak in California highlights the need for people to be vaccinated."

The virus is capable of remaining viable in the air for two hours, which means any riders could have been exposed due to the system's widespread use, according to a BART press release.