SNOHOMISH COUNTY, JAN. 29: The Snohomish County Health Department confirmed three additional measles cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the county to six.
The latest case was confirmed in an unvaccinated child who was infectious while attending an afternoon service at Slavic Christian Church Awakening in Mukilteo on Sunday, Jan. 18.
Anyone attending the church that day between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus. People born before 1957 or who have had two shots of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are considered immune.
The health department declared a measles outbreak two weeks ago.
Earlier this month, three other measles cases were confirmed in local children who were exposed to a contagious family visiting from South Carolina. Having three new connected cases amounts to an outbreak – a sign the disease is spreading locally, the health department said in a press release.
Two additional measles cases in Snohomish County were diagnosed after the outbreak was announced. Those cases – also in unvaccinated children – were in a family already isolating due to a positive measles case in a sibling, the health department said. No new exposure sites were linked to the two cases, and the general public was not at risk.
“Most people in our county have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low,” Health Officer Dr. James Lewis said. “The next two to three weeks could be telling on where this outbreak is going to go. Now is the time to find out your immunization status and get up to date on vaccinations.”
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against the measles virus, according to the health department.
More cases were expected, and some members of the community may have measles now and be isolating at home and not seeking medical attention, Dr. Lewis said.
The latest case of measles could be related to the exposures from South Carolina, but it’s also possible it’s linked to a previously undiagnosed case, the health department said.
Moving forward, the health department does not plan to issue a news release after every new case of measles. They have created a new measles dashboard to share updates and exposure sites. You can follow them on social media for updates as well.
The largest active measles outbreak in the U.S. is in South Carolina, where nearly 800 cases of measles have been reported since October, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
For answers to frequent questions about measles, including how to protect your family if you’re traveling, visit the measles page on the Snohomish County Health Department website.
Everett, Snohomish County exposed to measles over holiday break
Based on a press release from Snohomish County Health Department.