Public Health reports one case of imported measles

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Public Health - Seattle & King County is announcing one confirmed case of measles in a child who acquired the disease abroad. The child with measles visited public areas in King County while contagious, prior to diagnosis, and may have exposed other persons to the disease. Also known as rubeola, measles is a potentially severe disease caused by the measles virus.

“We live in a global village where infectious diseases can rapidly spread from distant parts of the globe to our doorstep in a matter of hours,” said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. “This instance shows why immunizations are critically important in protecting the health of our community.”

Measles spreads easily among susceptible persons and can result in serious infections complicated by pneumonia, middle ear infections, and rarely, encephalitis, seizures, and death. Most King County residents born before 1957 had the disease in childhood and younger persons are routinely vaccinated against measles, both of which provide protection against the disease.

“If you aren’t immune to the measles and were in a location where the person with measles was while contagious, it’s important that you contact your health care provider,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Public Health’s Communicable Disease Section.

Specific locations and times where persons may have been exposed to measles in King County are available on Public Health’s website (www.metrokc.gov/health/measles2005.htm) and telephone hotline (206-296-4949) and will be updated as new information becomes available. At this time, possible measles exposure sites include:

1.	Laurel Park Manor, 5010 NE 52nd St, Seattle, 98105, on November 11th 2005, from 2 p.m-6 p.m.
2.	Larry's Market, 100 Mercer St, Seattle, 98109, on November 11th 2005, from 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
3.	Old Navy, Factoria Mall, 4092 Factoria Blvd Southeast, Bellevue, 98006, on November 12th 2005, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
4.	Larry's Market, 100 Mercer St, Seattle, 98109, on November 14th 2005, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
5.	Buca di Beppo, 701 9th Ave N, Seattle 98109, on November 15th 2005, from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

What the public needs to do

If you have been vaccinated or had measles previously, no special action is needed.
For persons who have not been vaccinated or have not definitely had measles previously:
- Check the Public Health web site listed above.
- Persons who were in one of the measles exposure locations at the specified times or who had contact with someone with measles should monitor their health for 21 days. If fever or rash develops, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms and your possible measles exposure. Always call before arriving at a healthcare facility for evaluation of possible measles. Stay away from other persons and from public settings until you have been evaluated by a healthcare provider.
Children under one year of age, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems are at high risk for severe measles and complications. These people should contact their healthcare provider if they may have been exposed to measles.
Measles vaccine can be given within 72 hours of exposure to a person with measles to prevent disease. For high risk persons, a medication called immune globulin can be given within six days of exposure to prevent measles.
If you are unsure if you have been vaccinated against measles or if you have had measles in the past, contact your healthcare provider to discuss if measles vaccination is needed.
Measles is very common in most countries of the world outside of the U.S. and adults and children who travel outside of the U.S. should be vaccinated against measles.

How to know if someone is at risk for measles

When people are immunized against measles today, they are given combined measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. The following points will help persons decide whether measles immunization is appropriate:

If you were born prior to 1957, you probably had measles as a child, and you are considered immune for life. You are not likely to need a measles vaccination.
If you were born in 1957 or later, you should have documentation of at least one dose of measles vaccine administered in or after 1968 and administered when you were at least one year of age or older.
You are considered immune to measles if a blood test for measles antibody is positive.
Children born since the early 1990's receive two doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose is given at 12 to 15 months of age. The second dose may be given one month after the first dose or at entry into school or child care.
MMR vaccinations are available at most healthcare providers' offices and at Public Health clinics.

What Public Health is doing

In response to measles cases, Public Health conducts the following activities:

Assures people with measles do not expose other members of the public
Monitors for measles symptoms among close contacts of people with measles
Identifies people exposed to measles, determine if they are immune to measles, and offers vaccination or preventive treatment to susceptible people as appropriate.
Assures prompt identification and appropriate testing and treatment of new cases by increasing awareness among the public, healthcare providers, and laboratories of the presence of measles in our community.

What is measles?

Measles is a highly infectious and usually severe illness that causes fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes. The rash begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Fever (often greater than 101° F), cough and other symptoms begin two to four days before the rash appears.

Measles symptoms begin eight to 21 days after the exposure to measles occurred. Measles is contagious from approximately four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appears. People can spread measles before they have the characteristic measles rash.

Other names for measles include 10-day measles, hard measles and red measles. The term for measles in Spanish is “sarampion.”

For more information, read Public Health’s measles fact sheet: www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/measles.htm

For immunizations, contact your provider or visit a Public Health immunization clinic: www.metrokc.gov/health/immunization/clinics.htm

Public Health – Seattle & King County is among the largest metropolitan health departments in the country, providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services that achieve and sustain safer and healthier communities for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County . Answering the needs of an increasingly diverse population, Public Health - Seattle & King County touches people's lives every day through health promotion and prevention activities, disease surveillance, health care, outreach and referral services, environmental health services, emergency medical care, jail health services, and readiness and response to public health emergencies.

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