Measles / Rubeola (vaccine-preventable)

2024 Outbreak in Oregon

Latest News

• August 8, 2024 press release
  
• July 26, 2024 press release
  
• June 17, 2024 press release
  

This outbreak is considered over as of September 26, 2024 (42 days after the last case onset).

Cases by County

Cases by Age

 2024 Outbreak Resources

• August 2, 2024: Provider Alert about measles
  
• Oregon State Public Health Laboratory Measles Testing Guidance (pdf)
  
• 2024 Measles Outbreak Facility Advisory Sign
  English (Word) | Russian (Word) | Spanish (Word) |
  Ukrainian (Word)
  
• Local Public Health Authority Sample Notification to Principals (Word)
  
• Local Public Health Authority Sample Notification of Exposure to Parents
  English (Word)  | Russian (Word)   |  Spanish (Word)  |
  Ukranian (Word)  |  Vietnamese (Word)  |  
  Simplified Chinese (Word)  |  
  Traditional Chinese (Word) |  
  Arabic (Word) |  Chuckese (Word) |  Somali (Word)
  
• Measles Parent Action Letter
  
English (Word) | Russian (Word) | Spanish (Word) |
Ukranian (Word) | Vietnamese (Word) | Simplified Chinese (Word) |
Traditional Chinese (Word) | Arabic (Word) |  Chuukese (Word) | Somali (Word) |
•  Measles Template Letter to School Staff  (Word)

Disease Information

Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease caused by measles virus. Measles starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat, and is followed by a blotchy rash that starts on the face or at the hair line and then spreads all over the body. Approximately 30 percent of reported cases have one or more complications including pneumonia, ear infections, or diarrhea. Rarely, the virus causes encephalitis (brain infection). Complications are more common in young children and adults. The best protection against measles is MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. Learn more about the MMR vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

OHA encourages physicians (and others) to maintain a high level of suspicion for measles, especially in people who have not received two doses of measles-containing vaccine. Suspect cases of measles, whether in doctors' offices or hospitals, should be immediately separated from other patients, tested for measles and reported to the local public health authority where they live, without delay, day or night, after identification.

Disease Reporting

What is required?

All cases and outbreaks are reportable to local public health authorities (LPHAs) by individuals, health care providers and clinical laboratories. An individual required to report reportable diseases who is unsure whether a case might really be measles should err on the side of immediate reporting by contacting their LPHA.

Cases are subject to worksite, childcare and school restrictions while in the communicable stage of the disease. When the disease is no longer communicable, restrictions will be removed by the local public health authority.

Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratories

Health care providers and clinical laboratories are required by law to report cases and suspect cases of measles to local health departments immediately, day or night.

• Call the local public health authority; see How and Where to Report for more information and local public health authority contacts – OR –
• Use our secure web-based confidential reporting system – OR –
• Use the confidential PDF reporting form.

Local Public Health Authorities

• Measles Investigative Guidelines (pdf)
• Measles Case Report Form (pdf)

Vaccination and Prophylaxis

• Measles Vaccine Standing Orders (pdf)
• Acquiring state-supplied prophylaxis (pdf) - Includes how to order immune globulin for prophylaxis of contacts to measles cases

See Also

General Public

• Basic Information (PDF documents)
  English | Russian | Ukranian
• CDC's measles information for parents  |  Spanish
  
• CDC's vaccine information sheets (English and other languages)
  
• CDC's  Plan for travel page

Local Public Health Authorities

• Algorithm for Assessment of People Exposed to Measles
  
• Sample Letter to Schools Regarding Measles Outbreak in the Region
• Español / Spanish

Providers, Clinical Laboratories and LPHAs

• CDC's clinical overview of measles webpage
  
• CDC's laboratory testing for measles webpage
  
• IAC's measles web page
• CDC's "Pink Book" chapter on measles 
  
• CDC's "Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" chapter on measles
• CDC Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations with Patients
• Notes from the Field: Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis Death — Oregon, 2015 (MMWR)
  
• European CDC measles reporting
  

Schools and Child Care Facilities

• Required shots by ages and grades
• Immunization requirements for schools and childcare facilities - what staff need to know
• Communicable disease guidance for schools - from ODE and OHA  (pdf)
  

Sample Letters

• Sample letter for parents or guardians regarding measles outbreak in the region
• English: Word
• Español / Spanish: Word
• Notification for Parents of a Child Who Attends a School with a Measles Case (Version 1)
• English: PDF | Word
• Español / Spanish: PDF | Word
• Русский / Russian: PDF | Word
• 简体中文 / Simplified Chinese: PDF | Word
• Af Soomaali / Somali: PDF | Word
• Tiếng Việt / Vietnamese: PDF | Word
• Notification for Parents of a Child Who Attends a School with a Measles Case (Version 2)
• English: PDF | Word
• Español / Spanish: PDF | Word
• Русский / Russian: PDF | Word
• 简体中文 / Simplified Chinese: PDF | Word
• Af Soomaali / Somali: PDF | Word
• Tiếng Việt / Vietnamese: PDF | Word

Communication Tools

• Oregon Health Authority Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Toolkit
• CDC's Measles Resources