A Marion County wastewater treatment plant recently detected measles in a sample at its facility, the Oregon Health Authority announced last week.

The virus was detected in a wastewater sample taken Oct. 6, according to the agency’s statement.

The alert was sent to health care providers in hospitals, laboratories, emergency services and law enforcement to remind people to be diligent in watching for potential measles cases.

The alert doesn’t necessarily mean someone local has measles, Erica Heartquist, a spokeswoman for the health authority, said Monday.

“Specific detections cannot be traced to specific individuals and cannot tell us how many cases of measles may be in the community. It’s possible the detection stems from an individual that was simply passing through the area and not n

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