Add To Favorites

OHA: Measles outbreak, which included Lane County patient, is over

The outbreak of measles cases that began in October with a sick Oregonian on a plane returning from Europe is officially over, according to the state health authority.

In some of four total cases reported since October, enough time has passed that health officials are confident the measles patients made no one else sick. In a fourth case, not reported to the Oregon Health Authority until November, officials believe the patient was appropriately quarantined and didn't get anyone else sick.

The outbreak began when an Oregonian boarded a plane on Oct. 12 from Amsterdam while infected with the measles and contagious, according to the OHA. That person, known as the index patient, got three others sick, according to OHA spokesperson Delia Hernandez.

At least two people on that plane with the index patient, one from Lane County and the other from Washington County, were not fully vaccinated. The Lane County patient visited local businesses while contagious on Oct. 21 and Oct. 23, leading to public warnings and concerns others may have been infected.

A spread of the infection did not happen, Hernandez said. Enough time has elapsed in the Lane and Washington counties cases for OHA to be confident the threat has passed.

In early November, OHA Communicable Diseases and Immunization Medical Director Dr. Paul Cieslak told The Register-Guard anyone who'd been infected with measles when the Lane County patient visited those businesses would likely show symptoms within seven to 21 days, the latter being the longest incubation period for the virus.

But Cieslak said OHA generally waits 42 days after public exposure to declare an outbreak over, using a second 21-day cycle to be sure there are no other cases. Those 42 days have now passed.

In the fourth measles case, reported Nov. 4, OHA found there was no opportunity for public exposure such as when the Lane County patient visited local restaurants.

It has been more than 21 days since that patient was reported sick. Hernandez said there's no need to wait a second cycle to declare the outbreak over.

"The key reason we're going with the 21 days for the outbreak to be over is that the fourth case, which is linked to the first case of the outbreak, was quarantined and there was no public exposure," Hernandez said.

Because there was no public exposure, Hernandez said OHA will not identify where the fourth patient lives.

More than 90% of Oregonians are vaccinated against measles, according to OHA.

Follow Adam Duvernay on Twitter @DuvernayOR or email aduvernay@registerguard.com.

___

Visit The Register-Guard (Eugene, Ore.) at www.registerguard.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.