Lurking among the hot new cars and crowds of journalists at this year’s North American International Auto Show was a potentially serious virus, state health officials warned Friday.
If you attended the Detroit auto show press preview days Jan. 13-15, you may have been exposed to rubella, also known as the German measles, the state Department of Health and Human Services said.
People who may have been exposed and are unsure of their vaccination status should contact their health care providers for information about next steps, health officials advised.
Rubella is virus that can cause a low-grade fever, sore throat and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Symptoms can also include pink eye, runny nose, swollen and enlarged lymph nodes and cough, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rubella can also cause a miscarriage or serious defects in the developing fetus if a woman is infected while she is pregnant.
The virus is primarily spread through the air by coughing and sneezing.
State health officials were notified that a resident of another state attended the auto show Jan. 13-15 and had been diagnosed with rubella.
Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the MDHHS, said she did not know which state the infected person is from, but noted the person may have been contagious while in Detroit.
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