SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Health officials in Snohomish County are warning residents that measles cases could increase significantly in the coming weeks. The alert follows a confirmed exposure involving an unvaccinated child at a Mukilteo church.
As of Thursday morning, there are currently six confirmed measles cases in Snohomish County and eight total across Washington state.
Anyone who attended the afternoon service at the Slavic Christian Church on Jan. 18 may have been exposed to the virus. An unvaccinated child with measles was in the audience during that time.
A church leader stated they have no comment regarding the exposure at this time.
Snohomish County Health Director Dr. Jeff Lewis said the county is considering everyone in the area potentially exposed. “We expect that there’s an unrecognized community transition, so everybody should be on alert if they’re not immune,” Lewis said.
It is currently unclear when or where the child was exposed to measles.
While three earlier cases in the county were linked to a family visiting from South Carolina, Lewis said he does not believe this specific case is tied to that family.
South Carolina is currently experiencing the worst measles outbreak in the country. Lewis noted that unidentified cases likely exist within the community. “Which means there are probably more cases we don’t know about.”
Measles symptoms can take between seven and 14 days to appear.
Lewis said that the potential for unknown exposure sites remains a concern for health departments. “That unfortunately means that there are probably other exposure sites that we aren’t aware of at this point. We’re considering really everyone in Snohomish County potentially exposed to measles,” Lewis said.
Snohomish County officials will continue to monitor the situation for the next two to three weeks.
Lewis said he expects the number of cases to grow, though the final count will depend on the steps residents take to prevent further spread.
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