Detection of measles in Oregon wastewater has county on alert

Detection of measles in Oregon wastewater has health officials here on alert.

The Oregon Health Authority on Oct. 17 notified health care workers that measles was found in a sewage sample taken Oct. 6 in Marion County, Ore. That means at least one person with measles was in that area.

Although there is no immediate danger to Southwest Washington, Clark County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said he is “significantly concerned” about the rise in measles cases fueled by lower vaccination rates.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through the air when a person who is sick breathes, coughs, sneezes or speaks. The virus can live on surfaces or in the air for as long as two hours.

“If everybody were vaccinated, we would eradicate measles from the face of the earth, just as we did with smallpox. So the best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated,” Melnick said.

Measles had been officially eliminated from the United States in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet, 1,648 cases of measles have been confirmed across the country this year, and 92 percent of those were unvaccinated people, according to national data.

Washington has had 12 confirmed measles cases this year, according to the state Department of Health. None of those were in Clark County.

Half of the cases were people 18 and older, while 42 percent were children younger than 5. Children are advised to get their first dose of the measles vaccine at 12 to 15 months old and their second dose at 4 to 6 years old.

“Kids are especially susceptible. One of the reasons we get vaccinated is to protect those around us who are not vaccinated or immunosuppressed, and young infants have not been vaccinated yet,” Melnick said.

The Washington State Department of Health recently launched a map with real-time updates of measles exposures. As of Thursday, the map listed seven places in King County visited by someone contagious with measles in the past 21 days, the incubation period for measles.

So far this year, Washington hasn’t had any measles outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases.

The last outbreak in Clark County was from January to April 2019, with 71 confirmed cases.