Spokane County just experienced its first measles case since 2015, and the Spokane Regional Health District expects the number of cases to increase before the outbreak is over.
Although extremely rare in this day and age of widespread vaccination, health officials are still taking this virus seriously. That’s because of how easily the virus spreads and how serious it can be for young children.
“We consider a single case an outbreak because the infection is moving so quickly,” said Mark Springer, the health district’s epidemiologist.
Because the disease has a long incubation period, it often takes time to spread before it is detected by medical professionals. In this case, an unvaccinated resident contracted the disease while traveling abroad, where the disease is much more common.
This person was likely already infectious when he returned to Spokane International Airport on February 12th. The individual was placed in isolation later that week after continuing to be in public.
The health district contacted more than 20 people who had come into contact with this person, mainly in the Deer Park area. Health district officials encourage anyone who believes they may have been in contact with this resident to review their immunization records to ensure they have received the measles vaccination and to be on the lookout for symptoms. There is.
“If we can match the times and dates that someone was in the same place, then that person could have been infected,” Springer said.
Be on the lookout for symptoms if you’ve been to the following locations:
- Spokane International Airport Concourse B, February 11th 9:30pm to February 12th 12:30am
- Deer Park Library, 208 S. Forest Ave., Feb. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The Rozy’z Hot Shotz Drive-Thru will be held at Deer Park (617 S. Fir Ave.) in February from 4 to 8:30 p.m. 12
- Deer Park Taco Bell, 807 S. Main Ave., evening hours TBD Feb. 12
- Creekside Kenpo Karate, Deer Park, 3506 Eloika Road, Feb. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Horizon Credit Union in Deer Park, 900 S. Main St., Feb. 15 from 4:30 to 7:15 p.m.
The measles virus stays in the air for about two hours. This is much longer than for respiratory viruses like influenza.
The health district expects this outbreak to result in additional measles cases, but the cases are likely only from close contacts of infected individuals.
“Other people who live in the same household, and all those who have been exposed to measles over a long period of time, we would expect these people to be the first to develop measles,” Springer said. “We have been extremely supportive of the individual and his family. They have been incredibly supportive given the circumstances.”
Nevertheless, infection can occur outside of that group. Symptoms may appear from now until March 8th. A measles epidemic ends in an area if no new cases occur for 42 days.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Springer said measles symptoms appear as a “nondescript respiratory illness” within seven to 21 days after infection. This may include a cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, and the development of conjunctivitis.
The telltale sign of measles is a rash that occurs two to four days after the first symptoms. This rash usually starts on the head or face and spreads down the body to the extremities. When this rash appears, the temperature can rise to 104 degrees or higher.
While you have measles, there is no treatment other than rest, staying hydrated, and controlling your fever. After the rash appears, symptoms such as fever often subside within a few days. Once infected, immunity to the disease can last a lifetime. Although the disease is unpleasant, it is generally well tolerated among adults, but it can be dangerous for young children.
Complications associated with this disease include diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia. Measles causes inflammation of the brain, which can cause seizures and can also cause hearing loss and developmental delays in children.
Both of these complications are more common in children under 5 years of age. Approximately 1 to 2 children in every 1,000 cases die from measles complications.
MMR vaccine
Children and adults are protected from exposure to these complications and diseases with the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine also protects against mumps and rubella. Before vaccines were widely used, measles was endemic and children could be expected to become infected with it at some point during childhood.
Currently, measles incidence is low in the United States, mostly because children need to be vaccinated. Officials recommend that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, one between 12 and 15 months of age and one between 4 and 6 years of age.
Unvaccinated adults are also eligible, unless they were born before 1957 or are currently pregnant.
“It is highly effective and provides durable, lifelong immunity,” Springer said of the MMR vaccine. However, to effectively prevent the spread of measles, at least 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated. Springer said vaccination levels in the region are “patchy” and encouraged those who are unvaccinated or have unvaccinated children to use this as a wake-up call. .
“If you know you have been infected and have not been vaccinated, please take precautions,” he said. “I would encourage anyone who is hesitant or has concerns about getting vaccinated to speak to their GP.”
As of the 2022-2023 school year, the measles vaccination rate for K-12 students in Washington State was 95.3%. Spokane Public Schools had a student vaccination rate of 90.1%. In the Deer Park School District, where this exposure primarily occurred, measles vaccination coverage within the district was 81.1% and overall compliance with mandated vaccines was 72.8%.
Springer said the health district is not aware of any infections within the Deer Park School District.
Washington state experienced a widespread outbreak of measles in 2019, with a total of 90 cases, the most in a year since 1990. The state was part of a nationwide measles outbreak that year, with 1,274 people infected with the disease in 31 states.
Spokane didn’t have any cases that year, Springer said, largely because there was less international travel in Eastern Washington.
“We’re a little bit more fortunate than the Westside in the sense that we have a smaller population and there’s not as much international travel that passes through our community,” he said.
The last time Spokane had measles was in 2015, when two cases of measles were diagnosed.
