How Far Will Measles Spread In King County? Time Will Tell

ISSAQUAH, WA — The local measles outbreak hit a milestone on Wednesday: a man in his 40s caught the virus after coming into contact with another person living in the area with measles, King County health officials believe.

Measles likely made its way to Puget Sound through a contagious traveler who was at Sea-Tac Airport in late April. The people exposed at Sea-Tac by that by that person are now spreading measles.

At this point, health officials don't know how many cases might pop up. King County Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Duchin has said that it will take about 21 days before we see how far measles has spread. But the region could continue to see cases after that.

An initial wave of eight people — five in King County, two in Pierce, one in Snohomish — likely contracted measles at Sea-Tac. In the case revealed Wednesday, officials believe the man acquired measles on May 9 at the Hops N Drops pub in Sammamish's Klahanie neighborhood. Another person contagious with measles was also there on May 9, health officials said.

After getting sick, the man visited the MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care in Issaquah, 6140 Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast, on May 25 between 8 and 11 a.m., health officials said. Health officials are urging anyone with measles symptoms to call their doctor's office before arriving in person.

Since April 21, people with contagious measles have visited more than 30 public places outside of Sea-Tac Airport including large office buildings in downtown Seattle, Issaquah High School, a Fred Meyer in Auburn, and a movie theater in Woodinville.

See the full list of measles exposure locations in King County here

Measles is extremely contagious and can linger in the air for hours after a contagious person has left. Health officials are urging residents to verify their vaccination status. Symptoms include a rash, fever, and cough, and usually appear in one to three weeks.

A fifth measles case was confirmed over the weekend in a 6-month-old girl who visited Seattle Children's hospital on May 24. The four other confirmed cases in King County include a person from the Auburn area, two women in their 50s and 40s who visited locations in Sammamish, Seattle, and Issaquah, and another person who visited several locations in Renton. A man from British Columbia visited Seattle in late April while contagious with measles and visited multiple locations, including the Space Needle and the Monorail. His case is not included in the county's tally.

There have been 80 measles cases in Washington so far in 2019, but 71 of those were in a Clark County outbreak earlier this year.

So far in 2019, there have been 940 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. That's the largest number of measles cases since 1994, and since the disease was declared eradicated in 2000.

What should you do? Health officials advise everyone to make sure their vaccines are up to date. Children and adults in King County can get free measles vaccinations at any HealthPoint clinic in the region. Find a full list of locations here.