Person With Measles Was In Portland, Hood River, And The Dalles

PORTLAND, OR – A person with the measles spent time in The Dalles and Hood River before arriving at the emergency room of OHSU on Jan. 2. The person was diagnosed the following day.

The Oregon Health Authority was notified that day. Officials say that no other cases have surfaced since then.

Despite that, health officials want people to be aware of the case and what they should look for in terms of symptoms.

Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts

"Measles is a highly contagious disease with the potential to cause significant health complications," the Health Officer for the North Central Health District, Dr. Miriam McDonell, says.

"Fortunately, due to very high vaccination rates in Oregon, cases of measles are quite rare."

Officials have been tracking the patient's movements leading up to the time that the person arrived at the OHSU emergency room.

They say say that if you are unvaccinated and was at one of the following locations, you should be on the lookout for symptoms:

• The Discovery Center, The Dalles, Dec. 29, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
• Fred Meyer, The Dalles, Dec. 31, 5-6 p.m.
• Doppio Café, Hood River, Dec. 30, noon to 1 p.m.
• Goodwill, Hood River, Dec. 30, noon to 1 p.m.
• Full Sail Brewery, Hood River, Dec. 30, 1-2 p.m.
• OHSU Emergency Department, Portland, Jan. 2, 9 a.m. to noon.

Among the symptoms to watch for are fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. That would be followed by a red rash that usually then spreads to the rest of the body.

Measles can also linger in the air for up to several hours after the person with the virus has left the area.

The patient in this case had traveled out of the country. Officials say that when the patient became sick, the person did what was was necessary to avoid exposing other people.

"From this exposure, we would expect symptoms in anyone newly infected to appear any time over the next two weeks," McDonell says.

Photo via Centers for Disease Control.