Measles Outbreak in Clark County, Washington The Idaho Immunization Program is alerting Idaho healthcare providers that Clark County Public Health in Washington State continues to investigate an expanding measles outbreak, with 22 confirmed cases of measles reports as of January 22, 2019. For information on this outbreak and possible exposure locations in Washington and Oregon, see https://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/measles-investigation. No measles cases have been reported yet in Idaho; however, healthcare providers are encouraged to assess measles vaccination status of their patients and issue appropriate reminders or recalls. Recommended immunization schedules can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html and https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/adult.html. Healthcare providers should consider measles in patients presenting with febrile rash illness and clinically compatible measles symptoms, especially if the patient recently traveled internationally or to locales in the United States experiencing a measles outbreak (see https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html), including Clark County, WA. For information about diagnosis, vaccination, isolation, and treatment of measles for healthcare professionals, including a link to a 5-minute video from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, see https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html. Healthcare providers should obtain BOTH a serum sample and a throat or nasopharyngeal swab for testing of patients suspected to have measles, at first contact with the patient. The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories (IBL) can offer PCR testing on specimens from patients with compatible symptoms only. There may be an associated fee for testing. Contact IBL at 208-334-0589 and see the IBL sampling and submission guideline at http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Portals/0/Health/Labs/SSG/Clinical_Measles_RT-PCR.pdf. Suspected measles is reportable to your local public health district (see map and links at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Health/HealthDistricts/tabid/97/Default.aspx), or Southeastern Idaho Public Health, Epidemiology Program (phone 208-478-6303, FAX 208-233-1916), or the Bureau of Communicable Disease Prevention, Epidemiology Program (phone 208-334-5939; FAX 208-332-7307) within one working day. Prompt reporting will facilitate rapid public health investigation to initiate appropriate control measures for this highly contagious disease.
