LOS ANGELES, Jan 26, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A state of emergency was declared on
Friday in the western US state of Washington following a measles outbreak
that has affected more than two dozen people, the majority of them children.
The disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 but has since made a
comeback that is tied to imported cases and the rise of the anti-vaccine
movement.
“Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease that can be fatal in
small children,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement. “The
existence of more than 26 confirmed cases in the state of Washington creates
an extreme public health risk that may quickly spread to other counties.”
The outbreak began near Portland, Oregon, at the start of the year and
quickly spread to nearby Clark County and King County, both in Washington.
Health officials have warned that people infected with the disease had
visited schools, churches, a dentist’s office, a Costco store, an Ikea store
and the Portland airport.
The majority of those infected are children, many of whom have not been
immunized against the disease, officials said.
They added the outbreak could still be in its infancy as the incubation
period of the virus averages 14 days. Those infected can spread measles to
others four days before and four days after the rash appears.
The highly contagious disease can cause severe diarrhea, pneumonia and
vision loss, and ultimately can be fatal.
The World Health Organization in November warned that measles cases
worldwide had jumped more than 30 percent in 2017 compared to the previous
year, in part because of children not being vaccinated.