Measles reported at New England Aquarium

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BOSTON, June 5 (UPI) -- Boston's New England Aquarium is warning visitors they could have been exposed to measles, authorities say.

The aquarium began contacting visitors Saturday, a day after learning that one of its volunteers had measles, The Boston Globe reported. The volunteer, a 17-year-old boy, had worked two shifts, May 19 and 22, giving visitors information on exhibits at the aquarium.

About 6,000 guests visited the aquarium during those two days. The aquarium provided direct contact with about a third of them and posted information about the occurrence on its Web site.

So far, there have not been any reports of additional measles infections, the Globe said.

Symptoms usually begin about 10-12 days after infection, and include fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes and a sore throat followed by a rash.

Measles infection has been on the rise in recent years in the United States. Federal health officials announced 118 infections nationally for the past year, compared to 50 during typical years.

Anyone who believes they may have contracted measles is urged to check their immunization records.