Measles

Current Colorado measles information

• The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated adult Pueblo, Colorado resident. The individual recently traveled to an area of Mexico experiencing an ongoing measles outbreak.

Based on available information, anyone who was in the following locations during the dates listed may have been exposed to measles and should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure and consider avoiding public gatherings or high-risk settings. Monitoring for symptoms is especially critical for people who are not vaccinated with the MMR vaccine.

• What to do if you may have been exposed and aren’t feeling well:

People exposed to measles typically develop symptoms 7 to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a characteristic rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads.

If you were at one of these locations during the exposure window and develop symptoms, immediately contact your health care provider by phone. If you do not have a provider, call an urgent care center or emergency department and explain that you may have been exposed to measles. Calling ahead helps prevent additional exposures.

• Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red, itchy eyes. People with measles can spread the illness four days before the rash starts until four days after. The incubation period for measles ranges from 7 to 21 days. Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective against measles.
• Make sure you and your family are current  with the MMR vaccine or have evidence of immunity, especially if you plan to travel internationally or to areas in the United States where measles is spreading. If traveling to another country or to areas in the United States where measles is spreading, discuss vaccination with your health care provider before travel. For most individuals, MMR vaccines should continue to be given per the standard MMR vaccine schedule.  

An early dose of MMR is recommended for infants ages 6-11 months prior to international travel or to areas with measles outbreaks. Children 1 year of age and older who received one dose of MMR vaccine after their first birthday should receive a second dose of MMR vaccine spaced at least 28 days from the first dose before traveling to an area where measles is spreading. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks measles cases and outbreaks on its Measles Cases and Outbreaks webpage.

• Health care providers should report patients suspected of having measles immediately to CDPHE or your local public health department. Consider testing patients with a febrile rash illness for measles, especially if they report recent travel to New Mexico or Texas. Collect a nasal wash, throat (oropharyngeal), or NP (nasopharyngeal) swab for measles PCR testing, as this is the preferred test for suspected cases. Call CDPHE at 303-692-2700 (after hours 303-370-9395) to coordinate measles testing at the CDPHE lab.
• Health care providers can refer to the resources in the Healthcare Professionals section below for additional clinical, testing and infection prevention resources.