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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

First measles case reported in Spokane County in 21 years

An adult in Spokane County has tested positive for the measles, the first case of the highly contagious disease in the county in 21 years. Spokane Regional Health District officials say they don’t believe the person has traveled outside Spokane County. The adult wasn’t vaccinated, according to the health district. The district is urging people to review their immunization status. The Spokane case is not related to a large national outbreak linked to Disneyland, which was declared over last week. The person who was diagnosed with measles visited the following locations; people who were at those locations could possibly be exposed to measles: April 12, 3-11 p.m., Qdoba – 901 S. Grand, Spokane, WA 99202 April 13, 1-6 p.m., North Park Racquet and Athletic Club – 8121 N. Division, Spokane, WA 99208 April 15, 3:45-7:30 p.m., Franklin Park Urgent Care – 5904 N. Division, Spokane 99208 April 16 and 17, 9:45 p.m. - 5 a.m., Providence Holy Family Hospital - Emergency Department – 5633 N Lidgerwood, Spokane, WA 99208 April 19, 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Providence Holy Family Hospital - Emergency Department -5633 N Lidgerwood, Spokane, WA 99208 According to the health district, people who were at these locations at the times listed above would most likely become sick between April 18 to May 10. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and rash. Anyone who thinks they’ve been exposed and are not immunized should contact a health care provider. “We can expect to see many more cases of this preventable disease unless people take measures to prevent it,” Dr. Joel McCullough, the health district’s health officer, said in a statement. “This is a serious contagious disease and the message is absolutely critical that if you or your child is not vaccinated, you need to get vaccinated.” Adults who are unsure whether they received the vaccine can still get one, since there is no harm in getting it a second time. Pregnant women should wait until after giving birth to get the vaccine. Last year there were 32 cases in Washington; so far this year there have been 9 diagnosed cases.