Two additional measles cases were reported by Oregon health officials on Friday, including unvaccinated toddlers in Marion County.
Measles was discovered in the children on July 11 and 12. According to a news release from health authorities, there are no documented public exposures.
A Clackamas County home was the site of two incidents last month: an unvaccinated adult and an unvaccinated toddler. The adult looked to have picked up the infection in Marion County between mid-May and early-June, according to health officials at the time.
According to a statement from Dr. Paul R. Cieslak, medical director of the Oregon Health Authority, measles is a highly contagious disease. Adults of any age who were born in 1957 or later can still receive vaccinations, according to Cieslak. Due to the massive measles infections that occurred before a vaccine was developed, people born before 1957 are typically regarded as immune.
Health officials claim that measles can linger for up to two hours and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Four days prior to and up to four days following the onset of a rash, a person is contagious. Fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes are among the symptoms. Usually, a rash that begins on the face and spreads across the body follows. Seven to 21 days after being exposed to the illness, these symptoms appear.
According to officials, the greatest risk groups for measles, which can be fatal, include those who have not had the immunization, expectant mothers, young children, and anyone with compromised immune systems.
Health officials issued a warning about falling immunization rates among Oregon schools earlier this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oregon had the nation’s second-highest non-medical exemption rate during the previous academic year. As long as enough individuals get vaccinated, officials claim that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is highly effective against the measles.
Officials advise anyone showing signs of the measles to make an appointment with an urgent care facility or physician in advance so that an entry strategy may be made that will prevent other patients from contracting the illness.
