PORTLAND, Oregon — Marion County reported its 8th measles case since the beginning of June on Wednesday.
Officials said another unvaccinated child was diagnosed on Tuesday, along with a presumptive measles case of an individual showing systems whose household had a previously confirmed case.
Currently, there is no known connection between any of the confirmed cases and no known public exposure, officials said. To date, all cases have involved people who are not vaccinated, ranging in age from 3 to 43 years old.
Collectively, five of the confirmed measles cases were in children, and three were in adults.
“Measles is highly contagious and easily transmitted. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room,” said Marion County Public Health Officer Dr. Caroline Castillo. “The best way to protect your family from measles is to get vaccinated.”
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People can be contagious with measles for four days before a rash appears and up to four days afterward, officials said.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that may start on the face and spread to the rest of the body.
If you suspect you or someone in your household has measles, do not go to a medical office unannounced if you have a measles-like rash; have been exposed to measles in the past 21 days; or have other measles symptoms, like a fever, cough or red eyes, the county warned. Before going into a medical office, call first in order to create an entry plan to avoid exposing others.