Measles might be present in Clark County.
Clark County Public Health is investigating a potential case of measles in a child. The child’s gender and exact age was not disclosed, but Dr. Rachel Wood, a health officer for Lewis and Thurston counties, said the child has displayed measles’ symptoms such as a fever and rash.
The child, who is no older than 10, is up to date on their immunizations, and is believed to have been exposed to an individual from Multnomah County, Ore., who was later confirmed to have measles.
Measles can linger in the air for a couple hours, even after the person with the virus has left.
People who visited three businesses in late June may have been exposed to measles, according to a press release from Clark County Public Health: J.C. Penney, 19005 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver (from 2 to 5 p.m. June 27); Ross Dress for Less, 4708 N.E. Thurston Way, Vancouver (noon to 3 p.m. June 28); Svitoch, 4804 N.E. Thurston Way, Vancouver (noon to 3 p.m. June 28).
“If people were in those locations during those dates and times and think they’ve been exposed to measles or have symptoms, they need to call their health care providers,” said Wood, who was filling in for Clark County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick.
Clark County Public Health found out about the potential local case after being notified by a health care provider.
Wood said the case is linked to a measles outbreak in Portland that emerged last week. Multnomah County health officials said last week that upward of 500 people might have been exposed to the virus, and those officials have diagnosed two people with measles.
Measles is not common, with generally fewer than five reported cases of the virus in Washington each year, according to Wood. She said the last time measles manifested in Clark County was 2011, when there were three cases.
Measles is spread through the air with coughs or sneezes, and it is contagious before symptoms emerge, which is up to three weeks after exposure.
Symptoms begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that generally begins at the head and spreads. The contagious stage usually lasts four days before the rash appears, and up to four days after the rash’s appearance.
Ear infections, lung infections and diarrhea are other common complications.
The virus poses the most risk to people who haven’t been vaccinated, are pregnant, are infants younger than 12 months or people with weakened immune systems, according to the press release.
