Fans and competitors at Evo 2019, where we enjoyed watching the rise of Pakistani Tekken player Arslan Ash earlier this month, may have been exposed to measles. The good news is that there are currently no cases of infection reported.
Evo 2019 ran from August 1-4 at the Mandalay Bay resort: The Mandalay Bay Convention Center for the first two days, and the Events Center for the finale. From August 1-6, according to a bulletin posted by the Southern Nevada Health District, someone with a confirmed case of measles was also present at various Mandalay Bay locations, as well as the Luxor Hotel, where pre-Evo warmups and other related events were held.
"Because measles can be highly contagious, the Health District is advising people who may have been exposed to review their immunization status and contact their health care providers if they are not fully immunized against measles or have not already had the disease," the Southern Nevada Health District warned. "This measles case was reported in a visitor. There have been no additional cases reported in Clark County residents."
The announcement warns that symptoms can take up to 21 days to present, so even though Evo was a couple of weeks ago, the risk has not yet passed. The measles rash generally appears roughly 14 days after exposure, starting at the hairline, and can last five to six days. The disease can cause serious infections leading to pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures, and death; young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to complications.
All that said, there's no indication in the announcement of additional cases or a direct connection to Evo, and an Evo rep told Polygon that they're not aware of any attendees being affected, although they're still in the process of confirming. I've reached out for more information and will update if I receive a reply—in the meantime, if you haven't yet had your MMR vaccine and you're able to get one, get your MMR vaccine.
