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As measles spreads across the country<\/a>, sick children and adults are exposing other patients \u2014 including newborn babies<\/a> \u2014 when they seek care at hospitals<\/a>, pediatrician\u2019s offices<\/a> and urgent care centers<\/a>.<\/p>\n To help control the spread of measles, one of the world\u2019s most contagious viruses,<\/a> medical experts say people with suspected cases should take precautions before visiting a doctor\u2019s office or the emergency room.<\/p>\n \u201cI never want to discourage anyone from seeking care,\u201d said Dr. Alison Haddock, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. But \u201cmeasles is highly contagious and it is dangerous to expose others.\u201d<\/p>\n Walking into a crowded clinic or emergency department, especially without a mask, can infect others in the waiting room<\/a>, including patients who are pregnant, medically vulnerable or immunocompromised, said Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. An unvaccinated child with measles, who had been infected while traveling abroad, sparked an outbreak in San Diego<\/a> in 2008 that included children in the waiting room of a pediatrician\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have any concerns\u201d about being infected with measles, \u201cdo not just show up at the pediatrician\u2019s office. Do not just show up at the ER,\u201d Brown said. \u201cCall first so they can be prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n As of Friday, the U.S. has seen upward of 500 measles cases<\/a> in at least 20 states and Washington, D.C.<\/a> since the beginning of the year. The majority are in Texas, where an outbreak on the western edge of the state has grown to 400 cases and spilled into New Mexico and Oklahoma. Two people have died, including a 6-year-old girl.<\/p>\n