A line list created during a measles exposure should include which groups?

• A. Only patients
• B. Only staff
• C. Patients, staff, and visitors
• D. Only family members of patients

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that a measles exposure line list must be broad enough to capture everyone who could have been exposed in the environment during the infectious period. Measles spreads easily through airborne particles and droplets, so anyone who shared the same airspace or contact with the infectious person during the relevant window—patients, healthcare staff, and visitors—could be at risk. Including all three groups ensures that those who might need post-exposure actions, such as vaccination or immunoglobulin, and those who should be monitored for symptoms, are identified promptly. Limiting the list to just one group could miss exposures among others; for example, focusing only on patients would ignore staff and visitors who were in the same room or area, and focusing only on staff would miss patients and visitors who shared space. In practice, a comprehensive line list helps control the outbreak by documenting all potentially exposed individuals and enabling timely prevention and monitoring.