Health officials warn of Super Bowl measles case

BOSTON -- Massachusetts health officials are warning that people who visited the Super Bowl village outdoor festival in Indianapolis last Friday may have been exposed to measles.

Indiana health officials said Wednesday one person with a confirmed case was among the more than 200,000 people who visited the Super Bowl Village on Friday. Indiana officials say one other case of measles has been confirmed in the state and two others are suspected.

"Of the two confirmed cases only one of them spent a few hours at the Super Bowl village and while there did not go into any of the indoor buildings," said Dr. Gregory Larkin, commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health.

All of the cases are from central Indiana. No cases have been reported in Massachusetts.

“The fact that this was in an international forum is sadly coincidental. The most important thing is to do your best to contain the outbreak by alerting people who might have had exposure,” said Larkin.

Larkin would only say that the confirmed case that spent time at Super Bowl village is an Indiana resident now, but is from a country where vaccines aren’t provided.

The outbreak will likely not affect people who attended the Super Bowl.

“Those who attended the Super Bowl and the outdoor area in the village -- the person was only there for a couple hours. Knowing the largest percentage of our population has natural or vaccinated immunity, the risk is low, but we are obligated to report it,” said Larkin.

Measles has cold-like symptoms paired with a high fever and a rash. It's rare in the U.S. because most people are immunized against it. Symptoms usually appear 10 to 14 days after exposure.

(Copyright (c) 2012 Sunbeam Television. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)