Marion County confirms 6 cases of measles since June

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Marion County officials are confirming six cases of measles have occurred since last month.

On Wednesday, the county announced its fourth confirmed case . Then on Friday, they announced two more measles cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to six since June 17.

The two newest cases were of two unvaccinated people, one child and one adult, who were both diagnosed Friday. They’re both Marion County residents.

Officials said that there is “no known public exposure” and that they are “in the process of contacting those who may have been exposed.” There are also “no known connections between these cases and the four other recently confirmed measles cases in Marion County” and all of the cases happened in separate households.

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.

Measles was declared eradicated 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.

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.

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