After an individual who tested positive for measles stepped into a popular Pennsylvania retailer last week, Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) authorities warned other shoppers may have been exposed to the virus.
Exposure was traced to the Target on 9805 McKnight Road last week on Oct. 1 between 3:45 pm and 5:45 p.m., according to the ACHD.
The virus spreads through the air by coughing and sneezing and can linger long after an infected person walks away.
As a result, unvaccinated customers concerned they were exposed at Target are encouraged to call their health care provider for next steps.
The retail store is part of the Pine Creek Shopping Center.
“Individuals who are not vaccinated are most at-risk for infection,” authorities added. “Individuals who have received only one dose of the vaccine, instead of the recommended two doses, may still be susceptible to the virus.”
Vaccinated Target shoppers who were at the store during the identified time frame are urged to check their measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization record and monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days.
Measles symptoms include a fever of 101 degrees or higher, sore throat, small white spots inside cheeks, red, watery eyes, coughing, runny nose, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads across the body.
Since Oct. 2, five people have died in Pennsylvania, 198 were hospitalized, and 27 new positive cases have emerged. Only four of the total confirmed measles cases involve vaccinated individuals.
State officials described it as the largest outbreak in more than thirty years.
Pennsylvania isn’t the only state experiencing outbreaks. Ohio has documented more than 200 cases in 2026, and the governor of New York declared a state of emergency this week due to the number of measles cases emerging in adjacent states.
New York has reported more than 100 cases this year, and South Carolina has confirmed 997 cases.
