The measles outbreak in Clark County raises to 72 cases



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Clark County Public Health has identified a new case of measles. There are now 72 cases in the Clark County home and no suspect cases at this time.

Public Health has not identified new exhibition sites. For a complete list of exhibition sites, visit our measles exposure website.

Prior to Tuesday, there had been no new confirmed cases in Clark County since March 2. Now, a new case has been confirmed several days in a row.

Public Health announced Monday that it has deactivated its call center against measles. Anyone with questions about measles infections or exposures should contact their primary supplier or the public health department at 360-397-8182.

Of the 72 cases confirmed since 1 January, 53 involve children under 11 years of age. There are 15 cases aged 11 to 18, one between 19 and 29 years old and three between 30 and 39 years old.

In 63 cases, the patients were not immune. another seven have unverified immunization status. In two cases, patients had received one of the two recommended doses of the vaccine.

For more information on the outbreak, visit the Clark County Measles Inquiry Web Page.

A new case of measles is also present in a resident of Marion County, Oregon. It is not related to the outbreak of Clark County, but to an Illinois traveler who traveled to Marion County in late February, according to Salem reporter.

The Marion County case did not visit Clark or Multnomah counties. There is another suspect case in Marion County. King County has a measles case related to the Clark County outbreak and Multnomah County has four cases related to the Clark County outbreak.

What to do if you are infected

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 90% of unimmunized people exposed to the measles virus contract the disease. The virus lives in the mucus of the nose and throat of an infected person and can survive up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughs or sneezes.

Health officials urge people at a specific location who feel they have symptoms of measles to call their health care provider before going to the doctor's office to develop a plan that avoids exposing others people in the waiting room.

If you are not sure about your family's immunization status, you can view, download and print your family's immunization information online at the wa.MyIR.net address or request a copy of your vaccination record at the Washington State Department of Health.

Anyone with questions about measles infection or measles vaccine should call their primary care provider or county health department:

Clark County Public Health, 360-397-8021.
Multnomah County, Oregon, Public Health, 503-988-3406.
Washington County, Oregon, Public Health, 503-846-3594.
Clackamas County, Oregon, Public Health, 503-655-8411.

The Clark County Public Health Service regularly updates its list of places where people may have been exposed to measles. There are dozens of locations in total, including hospitals, Portland International Airport and several schools.

For a complete list of exposure sites, visit the Public Health Measles Survey Web page at www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/Measles/MeaslesOutbreak.

Symptoms of measles begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually begins in the head and spreads to the rest of the body. A person can transmit the virus before it shows symptoms.

People are contagious with measles up to four days before and up to four days after the onset of rash. After a person's exposure to measles, the disease develops in about one to three weeks.

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