Clark County health officials say they believe a person who contracted measles in January spread the disease to six others.
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. — Health officials are warning of a measles outbreak in Clark County, with possible public exposures identified in Ridgefield.
The first case was reported Jan. 23 after an adult contracted measles while traveling to an area experiencing an outbreak, according to county health officials.
On Feb. 3, Clark County reported six additional cases involving one adult and five children. Officials said all of the new cases are connected to the original infection and that transmission occurred in private spaces. However, health officials said the initial patient may have exposed others to the virus while contagious in two public locations:
- Ridgefield High School on Jan. 14, 15 and 16
- The Vancouver Clinic in Ridgefield on Jan. 21 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Health officials warned that measles is extremely contagious.
“If you’re in a setting where there’s a measles case and you’ve got 10 people who are not immunized, nine of them are going to get it,” said Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick.
Melnick said five of the seven patients were unvaccinated and two had unknown vaccination status. About 90% of Clark County residents are vaccinated against measles, but officials say a rate of about 95% is needed to achieve herd immunity. Melnick said his biggest concern is for people who cannot receive the vaccine because they are too young or immunocompromised.
“One of the reasons we get vaccinated is not only to protect ourselves from something deadly but to protect the most vulnerable around us,” Melnick said. “Why wouldn’t we want to protect infants? Why wouldn’t we want to protect people living with severe immunosuppression?”
Doctors say measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after the person has left an area.
It can take one to three weeks for someone exposed to measles to become ill. Symptoms typically begin with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash. People are contagious up to four days before the rash appears.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but health officials warn the country could lose that status as vaccination rates decline.
“That should not be happening,” Melnick said. “The vaccine is incredibly safe and effective.”