Marion County Public Health officials confirmed two more measles cases in the county Friday afternoon.
An adult and a child, both unvaccinated, were diagnosed with the illness.
The announcement marked six measles cases in the county since June 17, when officials first reported a confirmed case. Public health officials announced two more cases July 12 and another July 17. All previous cases were children.
All cases were in separate households and there were no known connections between them, according to a Marion County news release. Staff were in the process of contacting those who may have been exposed, the release said Friday.
Two cases of measles were also confirmed in Clackamas County by the Oregon Health Authority in June. OHA said in a news release that the cases, which involved an adult and a child in the same household, were believed to have developed from exposures in Marion County between May 19 and June 4.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that starts on the face and spreads throughout the body. Unvaccinated pregnant people, infants younger than 1 years old and people with weakened immune systems are considered high risk.
Public health officials said individuals are considered immune if they are born before 1957, have previously been diagnosed with measles at any point, have proven immunity through a blood test or have had two doses of the measles vaccine.
To prevent viral spread, public health officials asked anyone who believes they may have measles or have been exposed to it to call ahead before visiting a medical office.
Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk
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