King County officials warn of potential measles outbreak in Seattle
May 6, 2019, 1:27 PM | Updated: 6:10 pm
Officials are warning of a new health threat in King County after reports of a Canadian man with measles traveled to Seattle in late April.
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The man — said to be a tourist — was previously in Japan and New York, both places with measles outbreaks. According to the King County health officials, he visited “several” locations around Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport, and a handful of “popular tourist attractions.”
Jeff Duchin, a doctor with the King County Health Department, shed light on whether this could potentially lead to another measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest.
“In certain communities around the county, there are concentrations of people not up to date on their vaccinations,” Duchin told KIRO Radio. “Bottom line is it’s very possible that we will see additional cases, however, it’s not known with certainty.”
“It’s always hard for us to predict — certainly, a single case can trigger an outbreak if they are in the right environment where there are others susceptible,” he added.
Duchin noted that the measles virus is “very effective at spreading through the air,” and that it could have remained a risk for up to two hours after the man left each area he visited.
In terms of the exact locations the man visited, it’s a long list that includes:
- April 21, 8-10 p.m.: Sea-Tac Airport
- April 24 at 10 p.m. to April 28 at 12 p.m.: Marriott Courtyard Hotel Pioneer Square (612 2nd Ave, Seattle 98104)
- April 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Storyville Coffee (1001 1st Ave, Seattle 98104)
- April 25, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Kenmore Air Lake Union (950 Westlake Avenue N.)
- April 26, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Immediate Clinic Capitol Hill (1512 Broadway, Seattle 98122)
- April 26, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Monorail (Westlake Station to Seattle Center)
- April 26, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Seattle Space Needle (400 Broad St, Seattle 98109)
- April 27, morning: Slate Coffee Roasters (602 2nd Ave, Seattle 98104)
- April 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: MoPOP – Museum of Pop Culture (325 5th Ave, Seattle 98109)
- April 27, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Market Fresh (720 Olive Way, Seattle 98101)
- April 27: 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.: The Pink Door (1919 Post Alley, Seattle 98101)
- April 28, morning: Slate Coffee Roasters (602 2nd Ave, Seattle 98104)
- April 28, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Kenmore Air Flight M5 340
Symptoms for measles typically set in roughly seven to 21 days after initial exposure, and is contagious for around four days before a rash presents, as well as four days after a rash appears.
The highest risk for infection generally occurs in children under five years old, adults over 20 years old, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems from drugs or underlying diseases, and anyone not vaccinated against the measles virus.
County health officials are urging anyone who might suspect they’ve been infected to contact their local health provider, and to not go into any hospital or clinic without first calling ahead to intimate that they want to be evaluated for measles.
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