During one of Shakira’s concerts of her tour “Women don’t cry anymore” in the United States (USA), the Department of Health of New Jersey reported that a possible mass exposure to measles is being investigated.
According to information from the international media El País, U.S. authorities reported on Tuesday, May 20th that a person infected with this viral disease attended the Shakira concert in New York, which took place on May 15th at MetLife stadium, attended by approximately 82,000 people.
Thousands of people at risk of contagion after Shakira concert
According to health authorities, the person carrying the measles virus lives outside the state of New Jersey.
However, it is considered possible that there was a large-scale exposure between 7:30 p.m. (local time) on May 15 and the early morning of the next day, the period during which the event took place. For this reason, thousands of people could have been infected.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children and is transmitted through droplets expelled from the nose, mouth, or pharynx of infected individuals.
Measles symptoms
The initial symptoms, which usually appear between eight and twelve days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, red eyes, and small white spots on the inner face of the cheeks. Several days later, a rash appears that starts on the face and neck, and gradually spreads to the rest of the body.
According to the WHO, there is no specific treatment for measles, and most patients recover within two to three weeks. However, this disease can cause serious complications such as blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia, especially in malnourished children and immunocompromised individuals.