Marion County confirms 4th case of measles in 1 month

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The fourth case of measles in the span of a single month has been confirmed in Marion County.

Public health officials said the latest case involves an unvaccinated child who was diagnosed on Tuesday. This comes after two unvaccinated children were diagnosed in Marion County last week. Measles diagnoses were also confirmed by the Oregon Health Authority on June 17: one in Marion County and two in Clackamas County.

Marion County Public Health Officials said of the newest confirmed measles diagnosis that there are "no known connections between this case and the three other recently confirmed measles cases in Marion County."

Officials also said that there is "no known public exposure" and that they are "in the process of contacting those who may have been exposed."

Measles was declared irradicated in the US in 2000, but there have been occasional cases, including an outbreak of 28 reported cases in 2019, OHA said.

“Most people have received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine as children, and have a low risk of getting measles,” Marion County Health said. “The risk is much higher for unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to the disease.”

Measles is spread through the air through coughs or sneezes and health officials said that the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours.

The virus starts with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes and will usually be followed by a rash beginning on the face and spreading.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus is so contagious, that if one person has it, up to 90 percent of the people in close contact will become infected if they are not protected through vaccination," Marion County Health said.

Officials urge anyone planning to seek medical care who suspects they may have measles to contact their healthcare provider by phone ahead of time to create an entry plan to avoid exposure.