A school-aged child in Weld County and two people in Montezuma County have measles, but Colorado public health officials say they don’t know of any places where the patients could have exposed others.
The Weld County child, who was unvaccinated, traveled to an unspecified state with a measles outbreak, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The family cooperated with the investigation, which determined the child didn’t go out in public during the contagious period, according to the Weld County Department of Health and Environment.
The two people in Montezuma County lived in the same household as a child who previously tested positive there, so they were in quarantine and couldn’t have exposed anyone. The state health department couldn’t determine how the original patient contracted the virus, raising concerns that it could be spreading silently in the Cortez area.
The new infections bring Colorado’s total to 36 measles cases this year, with five hospitalizations and no deaths. In a typical year, the state had two or fewer cases among people who traveled overseas.
Symptoms of measles include a fever, runny nose, cough and red eyes, with the distinctive rash appearing about four days after the person becomes contagious. Anyone who has those symptoms and could have been exposed to measles should call ahead before seeking medical attention, so they can take precautions to avoid exposing others.
Two doses of the measles vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing infection.
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