Second case of measles confirmed in Washington

Second measles case identified in Washington

A second measles case has been identified in Washington, specifically in an adult from Snohomish County.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. - Local health officials are investigating a positive case of measles in a Snohomish County adult, the second confirmed case in Washington this year.

What we know:

The measles case was identified on Monday, March 17, by Public Health – Seattle & King County and the Snohomish County Health Department.

The case is likely connected to the first 2025 case of measles in Washington, which was confirmed in a King County infant. It's believed the new case was exposed at a location where the previous case had visited while contagious.

Officials said in the first case, the infant likely contracted measles while traveling abroad.

King and Snohomish County health departments assessed any other potential public exposures, and said there is no risk of measles to the general public from the new case.

What you can do:

Measles is preventable with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides about 97% protection against getting infected by measles. Officials say two doses of the vaccine offer protection that lasts a lifetime.

"Measles spreads easily in communities with low immunity, which is why maintaining high vaccination rates is so critical," said Dr. James Lewis, Health Officer for the Snohomish County Health Department. "We have confirmed a second measles case; without the rapid response from public health departments to conduct contact tracing to identify susceptible individuals, we could have seen significantly more cases. While there are some prevention steps like immune globulin and the MMR vaccine that can prevent infection when given promptly after exposure, supplements like vitamin A, cod liver oil, or other alternative remedies will not stop measles from spreading. Measles exposure in the community puts vulnerable people—especially infants, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems—at serious risk. Measles is highly contagious, but also highly preventable with vaccination, and ensuring people are fully immunized remains our best defense."