{"id":107617,"date":"2026-02-02T08:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/?p=107617"},"modified":"2026-02-02T15:02:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T23:02:54","slug":"measles-outbreak-snohomish-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/measles-outbreak-snohomish-county\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: Health official announce a measles outbreak in Snohomish County"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATE: Public Health\u2014Seattle & King County sent out another measles warning this weekend: A Canadian traveler infected with measles spent three hours at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 22. The person visited the following places at the airport between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.: <\/em><\/span>A Concourse (Gate A12), Transit to International Arrivals Hall (Baggage claim 22), and the lower level baggage claim exit at the south end of the main terminal. If your family members were in these areas, watch for symptoms until Jan. 26.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Measles is finding a foothold in Washington state and local health officials announced the number of cases meets the definition of an outbreak in Snohomish County.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Snohomish County Health Department confirmed three new measles cases this week, all in local children who were exposed to a contagious family visiting from South Carolina. The children tested positive on <\/span>Wednesday, Jan. 14<\/b>, after developing fever, cough and the telltale rash associated with measles. None of the children had been vaccinated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because the illness spread from person to person within the community, county officials say the cases officially constitute an outbreak \u2014 a sign that measles is circulating locally.<\/span><\/p>\n

How this outbreak began<\/b><\/h4>\n

Health officials in Snohomish County and Public Health \u2013 Seattle & King County were first alerted last wee<\/a>k that three members of a South Carolina family \u2014 one adult and two children \u2014 were infectious while visiting the region between Dec. 27, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026.\u00a0 There have been \u00a0434 cases of measles<\/a>\u00a0have been reported since OctobeThe largest active measles outbreak in the U.S. is in South Carolina, where\u00a0434 cases of measles<\/a> have been reported in South Carolina since October, making that state the largest outbreak in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before receiving a diagnosis, the family visited multiple public places in Everett, Marysville and Mukilteo, traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and stopped at a nearby car rental facility \u2014 all while contagious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, local officials say additional cases are likely.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re expecting more measles cases as a result of the previous exposures as well as these new outbreak cases,\u201d said Snohomish County Health Officer <\/span>Dr. James Lewis. \u201cWe are hoping to contain it, but unfortunately there have been a number of exposure sites already, and there are likely more cases in the community that we do not know about yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lewis consulted with the Washington State Department of Health before declaring the outbreak. Under public health guidelines, an outbreak is defined as <\/span>t<\/b>hree or more linked measles cases in a community.<\/span><\/p>\n

What families should know right now<\/b><\/h4>\n

Health officials emphasize that most people in the region are protected thanks to widespread vaccination.They note:<\/span><\/p>\n