Measles outbreak declared in Snohomish County as 3 local children test positive

EVERETT, Wash. — The Snohomish County Health Department has confirmed three new cases of measles in local children, prompting officials to declare an outbreak as the disease spreads within the community.

Health officials said the unvaccinated children were exposed to a contagious family visiting from South Carolina and tested positive on Jan. 14 after developing fever, cough, and a rash consistent with measles.

The health department notified the district on Wednesday of confirmed student cases at Serene Lake Elementary School and Pathfinder Kindergarten Center. Both schools will be closedon Thursday, Jan. 16, to allow officials time to coordinate next steps.

Health officials warned that measles can spread before symptoms appear and before a rash develops. The virus can also remain in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person leaves an area.

The Snohomish County Health Department said the infected children were at the following public locations before being diagnosed. Anyone at these locations during the listed times may have been exposed:

• Jan. 9, 8:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m. — Pathfinder Kindergarten Center, 11401 Beverly Park Road, Everett
• Jan. 9, 8:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m. — Serene Lake Elementary School, 9401 Sharon Drive, Everett
• Jan. 13, 1:10–3:10 p.m. — Swedish Mill Creek Campus medical facility, 13020 Meridian Ave. S., Everett

The times include two hours after the children were at each location, when the virus may have remained airborne.

“We’re expecting more measles cases,” Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. James Lewis said. “There are likely more cases in the community that we do not know about yet.”

Officials said they were notified last week, along with Public Health – Seattle & King County, that three members of the South Carolina family were infectious while visiting King and Snohomish counties from Dec. 27 through Jan. 1.

Health officials urged families to monitor for symptoms and contact a health care provider with concerns. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious complications, including brain swelling and death in rare cases, officials said.

More information is available through the Snohomish County Health Department.

The Snohomish County Health Department has confirmed three new cases of measles in local children, prompting officials to declare an outbreak after determining the disease is now spreading within the community.

Health officials said the children were exposed to a contagious family visiting from South Carolina and tested positive for the virus on Jan. 14 after experiencing fever, cough, and a rash consistent with measles. The children were unvaccinated.

The health department notified the district on Wednesday of three confirmed student cases, including one at Serene Lake Elementary School and another at Pathfinder Kindergarten Center. District officials said both schools will be closed Thursday, Jan. 16, to allow time to coordinate next steps with public health officials.

“We’re expecting more measles cases as a result of the previous exposures as well as these new outbreak cases,” Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. James Lewis said. “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.”

Health officials said they were notified last week, along with Public Health – Seattle & King County, that three members of the South Carolina family, one adult and two children, were infectious with measles while visiting King and Snohomish counties from Dec. 27, 2025, through Jan. 1, 2026.

During that time, officials said, the family visited multiple locations in Everett, Marysville, and Mukilteo, traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and visited a car rental facility near the airport.

Health officials urged families and staff to monitor for measles symptoms and contact a health care provider with any health-related concerns.

“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.”

When a confirmed case of measles is identified, the Snohomish Health Department requires proof of immunity for all staff, students, and visitors to affected school buildings, according to the district.

Acceptable proof of immunity includes documentation showing a birth date before 1957; records verifying two doses of a live measles-containing vaccine administered by a licensed health care provider; a signed letter from a licensed health care provider confirming previous measles infection and recovery; or laboratory evidence, such as a blood test or serology, demonstrating measles immunity, according to the Snohomish County Health Department

More information about measles symptoms is available through the Snohomish Health Department.