KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Public Health - Seattle & King County is announcing one confirmed case of measles (rubeola) and five probable measles cases among children who were recently adopted in China.
"Fortunately, the majority of the population is already vaccinated against measles, and for these individuals there is no cause for alarm," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "This outbreak again illustrates that we live in a global village where infectious diseases can rapidly spread from distant parts of the globe to our doorstep in a matter of hours. It is another good example of why immunizations are critically important in protecting the health of our community."
"Measles is a highly infectious disease with potentially serious consequences," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Public Health's Communicable Disease Control, Epidemiology and Immunization Section. "There has been significant community exposure in these cases, and there are members of the public who lack immunity and can have severe complications if they are infected with measles. If caught early after exposure to a case, measles can be prevented with vaccine and in some cases medication."
"We are asking health care providers to be vigilant for symptoms compatible with measles among all King County residents," said Duchin.
Measles cases
Five families from King County traveled to China in March for adoptions, and the exposure likely occurred while the children were in contact with one another in China. None of the cases is hospitalized at this time.
Information on cases and specific locations where persons may have been exposed to measles in King County is available on Public Health's website and will be updated as new information becomes available.
What Public Health is doing
In response to this measles outbreak, Public Health has the performed the following activities:
- Identifying cases and potential cases among persons associated with the group traveling to China
- Identifying people who were exposed to cases, verifying their measles immunity, and offering vaccination or preventive treatment to susceptible people as appropriate.
- Assuring prompt identification and appropriate testing and treatment of new cases by increasing awareness among the public, health care providers, schools, and laboratories of the presence of measles in our community.
- Coordinating measles outbreak control activities with the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to know if you are at risk for measles
When people are immunized against measles today, they are given measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. The following points will help you decide whether now is the time for a measles immunization.
- If you were born prior to 1957, you probably had measles as a child, and you are immune for life. You are not likely to need a measles vaccination.
- If you were born in 1957 or later, you should have documentation of at least one dose of measles vaccine administered in or after 1968 and administered when you were at least 1 year of age.
- You can also find out if you are immune to measles if a blood test for measles antibody is positive.
- Children born since the early 1990's are now receiving 2 doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose is given at 12 to 15 months of age. The second dose is given at either entry into school or entry into 6th grade.
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccinations are available at most health care providers' offices or at Public Health clinics.
- If you have been in a setting where you may have come in contact with a measles case and have been vaccinated and/or are immune to measles, you are probably not at risk. Public Health does still suggest you remain alert for symptoms of measles for 21 days from your last contact with a measles case and contact your healthcare provider if such symptoms develop.
- If you have had contact with a known or probable measles case, contact your health care provider by telephone and discuss your situation. If you have been vaccinated or are immune, there is usually no action necessary. If you have not been vaccinated and are not immune, consult your healthcare provider regarding the need for treatment at this time.
- Be alert for symptoms of measles for 21 days from your last contact with a measles case and contact your healthcare provider if such symptoms develop.
- Children under one year of age, pregnant women, and persons with immune system compromise are at high risk for complications from measles and should contact their healthcare provider for possible preventive treatment if they are exposed to measles.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly infectious, severe, viral illness. Typically, a rash begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Usually the cold, cough, eye symptoms, and fever begin 2 to 4 days before the rash appears. Fevers of over 101° F are typical.
Measles symptoms begin 8 to 21 days after the exposure to measles occurred. Other names for measles include 10 day measles, hard measles and red measles. Measles is contagious from approximately 5 days before the rash appears through 4 days after the rash appears. Therefore, people can spread measles before they have the characteristic measles rash.
If you are experiencing symptoms characteristic of the measles, call your local health care provider or your local health department to talk about your illness. The telephone number for Public Health - Seattle & King County is 206-296-4774.
If you go to a health care provider or emergency room for care because you are ill, please call ahead to let them know you are coming and that you need to be isolated from other patients when you arrive. If you believe you may be ill, please avoid public areas or waiting rooms, stay home from work or school, and contact your health care provider.
Public Health is asking health care providers to collect a blood sample and urine sample to check for measles. Your health care provider should call Public Health for information about how to collect these samples and how to have them tested by the Public Health Laboratory.
Sometimes people confuse measles with another disease called rubella, or German Measles. Rubella is also caused by a virus, and is serious when a pregnant woman has rubella, because it can cause harm to her unborn baby. Measles does not cause damage to unborn babies, but it is a serious disease. It can lead to hospitalization, lifelong disability, and it can kill.
More information, read Public Health's measles fact sheet.
For immunizations, contact your provider or visit a Public Health Center.
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