Oregon health officials have confirmed the state’s first case of measles this year in an unvaccinated adult from Multnomah County who recently returned from a trip overseas.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, the patient began experiencing symptoms — fever, sore throat and fatigue — on June 16. A few days later, they were hospitalized in the Portland area with a rash and red, irritated eyes — the classic signs of measles.
The person has since been released from the hospital and is recovering. Officials say the hospitalization did not expose others to the virus.
The state said a commercial lab confirmed the patient’s diagnosis on June 23. Health officials believe the person contracted measles while traveling abroad and say it is not connected to other measles outbreaks currently occurring in other parts of the country.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, the person flew into Portland on June 17 aboard United Airlines flight UA1832 — operated by Brussels Airlines — from Chicago. Officials said anyone in the economy cabin of that flight, or at Portland International Airport’s arrivals and baggage claim between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. that evening, may have been exposed.
Health officials said others may have also been exposed to the virus at the Safeway store in Lake Oswego, located at 401 A Ave., on June 22 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
“We’re here to tell you that measles is now in Oregon, and if you’re not vaccinated, you are susceptible,” said Dr. Paul R. Cieslak, the state’s medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations.
Cieslak said that measles can spread before a person even knows they’re sick. That’s because someone with measles can be contagious from four days before their rash appears until four days afterward, he said.
“After exposure, it can take up to three weeks before you show the characteristic measles rash. So, someone could not even know they have measles and be transmitting it for several days,” Cieslak said. “That’s why it’s extremely important that all adults and children in their household be up to date on vaccinations.”
Cieslak said that anyone who develops measles-like symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus should call their health care provider before going to a clinic or hospital to avoid spreading the virus to others in waiting rooms.
Measles is notoriously contagious — it spreads through the air via coughing or sneezing, and the virus can linger in a room for up to two hours after an infected person has left. It typically starts with symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by a spreading rash.
While most Oregonians have been vaccinated, health officials say the virus poses a serious risk to those who are not, especially pregnant people, infants under 1 year old and those with weakened immune systems. Measles can cause complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, and, in rare cases, brain swelling or death.
Cieslak said vaccination is the best prevention and that Oregonians should check their vaccination status, especially before international travel.
U.S. health officials have confirmed more than 1,200 cases of measles nationwide, with active outbreaks in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma. Two elementary school-aged children and an adult have died from measles this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
