SEATTLE — An infant in King County has been identified as Washington’s first measles case of 2025.
Public Health – Seattle and King County confirmed the infant’s home area on Thursday, and said the baby was possibly exposed during recent international travel.
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Measles is highly contagious and potentially severe disease, according to Public Health – Seattle and King County. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs.
The infant visited several King County public locations before the diagnosis, potentially exposing others. Measles can spread before symptoms appear, and the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.
Potential exposure sites include:
The agency is urging those who may have been exposed at these locations to verify their vaccination status, and to a consult a healthcare provider if they develop a fever or rash.
Most symptoms of measles appear between 7 to 21 days after someone has been exposed, Public Health said. Some symptoms include a high fever that can last two to four days, cough, runny nose, pink eye, and a rash.
All three medical facilitates listed above are notifying patients and families who may have been exposed, providing information about the exposure date and disease symptoms to watch for.
“A patient who came to the Seattle Children’s Emergency Department tested positive for measles,” a Seattle Children’s spokesperson said in a statement to KOMO News Thursday. “Emergency Department staff members followed appropriate screening processes of the patient and their family members at the visit and quickly implemented appropriate infection control procedures, which include isolating the patient and reporting to King County Public Health. We are notifying patients and families in the Emergency Department who may have been exposed, providing information about the exposure date and disease symptoms. For privacy reasons, we do not share information about specific patient cases.”
Measles can be confirmed with a sample of blood or saliva in a lab. The best way to prevent the spread of measles is by making sure you are up to date on the MMR vaccine
To avoid possibly spreading measles to others, do not go to a clinic or hospital without calling first to tell them you want to be checked for measles after an exposure. It is also important to limit contact with others, especially those without known immunity, and to wear a well-fitting mask if you do need to go to a healthcare facility.
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The most likely period for symptom onset is Feb. 27 to Mar. 18 for those exposed and not immune. Measles is contagious from about four days before a rash appears through four days after a rash appears.
Public Health also emphasized the importance of the measles vaccine for the community at large.
“Measles is easily spread from person to person. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected,” said Dr. Eric Chow, Communicable Disease Chief for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “We are seeing increases in measles cases within and outside the US. Talk to your doctor about checking your vaccination status and get vaccinated now if you aren’t already protected.”
The agency explained the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is highly effective, with two doses providing about 97% protection.
Herd immunity requires approximately 95% vaccination coverage due to measles’ high contagion rate. Currently, an estimated 87% of 2-year-olds and 72% of 4–6-year-olds in King County are up to date with their MMR vaccinations.
In 2024, King County reported three measles cases.
More information about measles and measles vaccination, including where to get measles vaccinations, can be found on King County’s WEBSITE.
Can measles be fatal?
It usually doesn’t kill people, but it can.
Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea. But about 1 in 5 unvaccinated Americans who get measles are hospitalized, the CDC said. Pregnant women who haven’t gotten the vaccine may give birth prematurely or have a low-birthweight baby.
Among children with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, the CDC said, and about one in every 1,000 suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis — which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.
It’s deadly “in a little less than 1% of cases, mainly in children,” said Scott Weaver, who works at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. “Children develop the most severe illness. The cause of death in these kinds of cases is usually pneumonia and complications from pneumonia.”
Do you need a booster if you got the MMR vaccine a while ago?
Health care professionals are sometimes tested for antibodies to measles and given boosters if necessary, Weaver said — even if they’ve already had the standard two doses as a child.
He said people at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may also want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.
“But I don’t think everyone needs to go and run out to their doctor right now if they did receive two doses as a child,” he said. “If people would just get the standard vaccination, none of this would be happening.”
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