EVERETT — At least two residents in Snohomish County have been exposed to measles, the county health department announced Tuesday.
The department is working with the people exposed to measles and monitoring their symptoms. They were advised to quarantine and wear a mask when in public spaces, the department said.
A person confirmed to be infected with measles traveled through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 10. Anybody who traveled through the airport between 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on that day may have been exposed to the disease, which causes high fevers and rashes. A person infected by that exposure would most likely fall sick between Jan. 17 and Jan. 31.
“We are most concerned about people who do not have immunity from vaccination, especially young children. Measles is highly contagious and, in severe cases, can cause very high fevers, pneumonia, and, although more rare, brain swelling, and even death,” Snohomish County Health Officer James Lewis wrote in a press release Tuesday.
Measles was once a commonplace disease before vaccination became available in 1963. Before then, the disease infected between 3 and 4 million people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
After a vaccine became available and was subsequently improved upon, the disease was considered eliminated from the United States in 2000. Millions of children missed their vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, and measles cases increased by 18% between 2021 and 2022, the CDC said.
Measles is extremely contagious and can be dangerous to children younger than 5. The disease spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the CDC. Having the recommended two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is 97% effective in preventing the disease.
In December, measles was reported in 30 states, including Washington, Lewis said. Eighty percent of those cases were in people who did not have confirmed vaccination.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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