Officials warn of measles exposures at 3 stores in Marion County

The Oregon Health Authority warned Friday of potential measles exposures in Marion County after nine cases have been reported since June 17.

OHA identified three locations in Marion County where people may have been exposed to the measles on Wednesday, July 17:

• Waremart in Keizer between noon-1:20 p.m.
• Walmart in Woodburn between 1:15-2:35 p.m.
• Safeway in Woodburn between 2:40-3:05 p.m.

Individuals who visited the stores during those times should monitor themselves for symptoms of measles and talk to a health care provider if symptoms arise, OHA said.

Although measles particles can linger in the air for up to two hours, the likelihood of contracting the virus through exposure goes down the further out from that window, especially in a large building, said Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA's Public Health Division.

"The virus is going to be ventilated out over a period of time," Cieslak said. "If, on the other hand, it was a very small room with fewer people coming into it, we would probably advise over a longer period of time."

The state agency said 15 cases of measles have been reported in Marion, Clackamas and Multnomah counties, with 12 cases confirmed and three presumptive, meaning their symptoms are consistent with measles but the diagnosis has not been confirmed. Marion County's ninth case was confirmed Friday.

Two people have been hospitalized, OHA said.

Other cases are suspected, but have not yet been confirmed.

Nine of the individuals were younger than 10, four were between 10 to 19 years, and two were 20 or older. None were vaccinated, OHA said.

Daily updates on the measles outbreak can be viewed on OHA's Acute and Communicable Disease Prevention page .

Oregon's last outbreak, with 28 cases mainly in Multnomah and Clackamas counties, was in 2019. One case was reported in 2023. There were no cases between 2020 and 2022.

Measles is highly contagious

Public health officials said the measles virus is able to spread through the air without known connections because of its high transmissibility.

People are contagious up to four days before showing symptoms and remain contagious up to four days after. Its long incubation period of up to 21 days between exposure and the onset of illness makes it challenging to trace potential exposures.

“Measles is the most contagious disease we know,” Cieslak said. “If you have a rash, please don’t drop in on an emergency department or your doctor’s office. Call ahead so that the doctor can arrange to meet you where others won’t be exposed.”

Measles is on the rise nationwide. As of July 25, the CDC reported 188 cases in 2024, compared to 58 cases in all of 2023. The majority of cases this year, 84%, involved individuals who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.

In the 2022-23 academic year, 97.3% of K-12 students in Marion County had received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, and 96.2% had received a second measles vaccine. That exceeds statewide rates of 96.3% and 95%, respectively.

Symptoms of measles

Symptoms of measles 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 advised anyone who believes they may have measles or have been exposed to stay home, avoid public places and call ahead before visiting a medical office. If anyone in the household has a fever or rash, officials discouraged welcoming visitors into the home.

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

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Officials warn of measles exposures at 3 stores in Marion County