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The Snohomish County Health Department on Thursday confirmed three new measles cases this week in local children who were exposed to a contagious family visiting from South Carolina. These three new cases amount to an outbreak – a sign the disease is now spreading locally, the department said.
The children tested positive for the virus that causes measles on Wednesday, Jan. 14. They had experienced fever, cough and rashes consistent with measles. The children were unvaccinated for protection against the disease.
“We’re expecting more measles cases as a result of the previous exposures as well as these new outbreak cases,” said Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. James Lewis. “We are hoping to contain it, but unfortunately there have been a number of exposure sites already and there are likely more cases in the community that we do not know about yet.”
According to a news release, Lewis conferred with the Washington State Department of Health before declaring the outbreak. An outbreak is when three or more people in the same community get measles that has spread from one person to another, the department said.
Most people in the area have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. The department advises you check your status for the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, which lasts a lifetime and offers 97% protection.
If you are not immune to measles, or don’t know your vaccination status, the department advises you to get vaccinated when you can.
Last week, the Snohomish County Health Department and Public Health – Seattle & King County were notified that three members of a South Carolina family – one adult and two children – were infectious while visiting King and Snohomish counties from Dec. 27, 2025, through Jan. 1, 2026. The family visited multiple locations in Everett, Marysville and Mukilteo while contagious – but before being diagnosed – with measles. They also traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and visited a car rental facility near the airport.
The largest active measles outbreak in the U.S. is in South Carolina, where 434 cases of measles have been reported since October, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health Department.
“We’re concerned about the health and safety of our Snohomish County children,” Health Department Director Kim Van Pelt said. “Measles is a serious disease that often brings unpleasant symptoms, and in rare cases swelling of the brain and even death.”
The infected children were at the following public locations before being diagnosed with measles. These times include the estimated period when family members were at the location and two hours after. The measles virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after someone infectious with measles leaves the area. Anyone who was at the following locations during the times listed could have been exposed to measles:
Jan. 9, 2026, 8:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. – Pathfinder Kindergarten Center (Mukilteo School District), 11401 Beverly Park Rd, Everett
Jan. 9, 2026, 8:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. – Serene Lake Elementary School (Mukilteo School District), 9401 Sharon Drive in Everett
Jan. 13, 2026, 1:10-3:10 p.m. – Swedish Mill Creek Campus medical facility, 13020 Meridian Ave. S., Everett
For answers to frequent questions about measles, including how to protect your family if you’re traveling, visit the measles page on the Snohomish County Health Department website.
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