PORTLAND, Ore. — Two cases of measles in separate people in the same Clackamas County household have been confirmed by state and county health officials, and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) suggests there may be more, unreported cases in the state. The two people confirmed to have measles — one adult and one child — were both unvaccinated.
The adult developed a rash on June 11, was confirmed to have measles on June 14, and the child developed symptoms a few days later. The time range and location for their exposure is believed to have been from May 19 to June 4 in Marion County. Because the exact location of the exposure is unknown, OHA said there may be other unreported measles cases in the state.
Both people are currently recovering. Health officials have reported two areas, both Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) facilities, and time frames for when people may have been exposed: Health officials said risk of exposure at the OHSU emergency department is believed to be low because the patient wore a mask and airborne precautions were implemented promptly. "Spreading measles from one person to another is pretty easy, as it’s a highly infectious disease," said Paul R.
Cieslak, M.D., medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA’s Public Health Division.
"That’s why it’s extremely important that all adults and children in their household be up to date on vaccinations. Adults of any age born during or after 1957 can still be vaccinate.
