SEATTLE — Snohomish County health officials said Monday they have identified a measles infection in an infant residing within the county.
Officials believe the infant became infected while traveling in southern Asia before arriving in Washington state.
Members of the infant’s family who were exposed are also being monitored by the county’s Communicable Disease and Surveillance team.
The team said others may have been exposed at Sea-Tac Airport on Feb. 19 between 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. and at the Seattle Children’s hospital emergency room on Feb. 20 from 12:34-2:49 a.m.
Snohomish County officials as well as others from Public Health—Seattle & King County and the state Department of Health (DOH) are reaching out to other impacted locations.
Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes, health officials said. It mainly spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes. The measles virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after someone who is infected has left the area.
Snohomish County officials said most people in the Puget Sound region are vaccinated against measles, making the virus very low risk to the general public.
However, King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin took to Twitter to remind residents of the importance of childhood vaccinations, which have dropped over the past two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Imported measles case with community exposures. This is why we can’t let child vaccination rates drop,” Duchin wrote.
In February 2021, pediatric vaccinations in Washington were down about 19% overall, with children ages 13-17 down the most at 35%.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the best protection against the virus, according to the DOH.
Those who are unsure if they are vaccinated can check their immunization records through the state’s website.
Following one case during an outbreak in 2019 that saw 90 measles cases across the state, this is the first measles case to hit Snohomish County in two years.