HANOVER — An international traveler who visited Hanover in June subsequently tested positive for measles, according to New Hampshire public health officials.

While there are currently no confirmed cases of measles in New Hampshire, state health officials issued a news release on Friday to alert Granite Staters to their investigation, which included seeking verification of the visitor’s test results and symptoms.

The traveler, who has since returned to and received medical care in their home country, visited Hanover when they were potentially infectious and could have transmitted measles to people who are not immune, such as those who have not previously been infected with measles or who are not fully vaccinated, according to the release.

Dartmouth College reported the measles case to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services as required by state law.

“As of today, we do not know of anyone on campus who has been diagnosed with measles,” Estevan Garcia, the college’s chief health and wellness officer, said in a Friday email to the college community.

The greatest risk of exposure for those on the Dartmouth campus was from Thursday, June 20, to Saturday, June 22, Garcia said.

All Dartmouth students are required to have the MMR vaccine to register for classes, with exceptions for students with religious or medical exemptions, Garcia said. In addition to the Dartmouth campus, the New Hampshire and Massachusetts departments of health have confirmed that the visitor was in the following public places:

■June 20-22: The Hanover Inn, 2 E. Wheelock St., Hanover

■June 20, 3 p.m.: Hanover Scoops, 57 S. Main St., Hanover

■June 20-22: Lou’s Restaurant and Bakery, 30 S. Main St., Hanover (one meal on unknown date and time)

■June 22, 11:40 a.m.: Dartmouth Coach Bus from Hanover arriving at Logan Airport in Boston at approximately 2:40 p.m.

DHHS encourages anyone who is not immune and spent time at the locations the traveler visited during the specified dates and times to monitor for symptoms of measles.

Symptoms of measles include: high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, which typically develop several days before a body rash appears, the release said.

Measles is highly contagious.

To prevent the possibility of spreading the virus, anyone who feels sick should call their health care provider before going to a health care facility.

Measles can be prevented through vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, vaccine. DHHS encourages Granite Staters to review their vaccination status.

There have been 159 cases of measles in the U.S. this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. That number is an increase from 58 cases for all of 2023.

New Hampshire’s percentage of vaccinated residents is the lowest in New England and lower than only nine other states in the country. That worries health professionals.

As of 2023, an estimated 89% of New Hampshire residents were fully vaccinated against measles, below the national average of 93%.

The CDC considers a community to have herd immunity when more than 95% of its members are vaccinated. At that rate, most of the people who are not able to receive vaccinations, either because they are younger than 12 months of age or have compromised immune systems, are considered protected from exposure to the disease.

New Hampshire’s rate is “alarming for public health,” Dr. Jaisal Pragani, a Dartmouth Health Children’s pediatrician, said Monday.

“As vaccination rates fall, the effect of ‘herd immunity’ falls along with it, leaving pockets of susceptible individuals around the state,” Pragani, who is based in Manchester, said. “Since it is a very contagious disease, measles will spread fast through the state, leaving vulnerable populations exposed.”

Those with questions or concerns about the investigation can contact the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at 603-271-4496.

More information about measles is on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, cdc.gov/measles/about/index.html.

Christina Dolan can be reached at cdolan@vnews.com or 603-727-3208.