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A measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest became more worrisome Wednesday with word that people infected with the extremely contagious viral illness traveled to Hawaii and central Oregon after being exposed.
The revelation prompted public health officials in Oregon’s Deschutes County and in Hawaii to issue alerts, although no cases were confirmed in either location.
Dr. Alan Melnick, public health director for Clark County, in southern Washington, which is at the epicenter of the outbreak, said there are 40 confirmed cases in the Northwest, including 38 clustered in southwest Washington, one in Portland and one in Seattle.
Officials haven’t yet determined how the measles outbreak started. The first patient sought medical care on Dec. 31, but other sick people may not have gone to a doctor or hospital, he added.
Clark County, where the first case was documented, has a 78 percent vaccination rate — far below the 95 percent required for “herd immunity” for such a contagious virus.
