Public health officials are warning Alaskans traveling to Washington state about an outbreak of measles. Washington’s governor Jay Inslee declared an emergency January 25th following more than two dozen confirmed cases in there. People with measles may have had contact with others in many public places in Portland, Oregon along with Vancouver, Kent, Covington and Auburn ,Washington
As of late January, there were no reported cases in Alaska. However officials are cautioning that anyone traveling to those parts of Oregon or Washington may have come in contact with an infected person.
The disease is highly contagious for people who haven’t been vaccinated or already have had measles. It also is deadly for one or two out of every one thousand people infected. Symptoms are fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes and a rash.
Joe Viechnicki spoke with public health nurse Erin Michael and the Petersburg Medical Center’s infection control director Liz Bacom about the measles outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control says three out of every 100 people who are vaccinated will still get measles if exposed, but will have a milder form and are less likely to spread it to others. The number for public health is 772-4611 while the clinic’s phone number is 772-4299.
