BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on Friday announced the state's 15th case of measles in a "fully vaccinated" adult from Boulder County.
The patient recently traveled to Europe, which is seeing a "large number" of measles cases, according to CDPHE. The state health department did not release any other information about the person, including their age.
In a news release, CDPHE said people may have been exposed to the disease at the following locations in connection with this case:
What to do if you believe you were exposed
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed, especially those who have not been vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, should monitor for symptoms for 21 days and avoid public gatherings or high-risk settings, health officials said in the news release.
Symptoms to watch out for include anything from a fever, a cough, a runny nose, and red, watery eyes that develop into a rash that starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body about three to five days after symptoms first start. A person with measles is contagious four days before and four days after the rash appears.
While most people recover within two or three weeks after contracting the virus, unvaccinated people run the risk of complications from the disease, including ear infections, seizures, pneumonia, immune amnesia, brain damage and ultimately, death.
Measles only spreads from people who show symptoms; it does not spread from people who aren’t feeling sick, state health officials said.
Unvaccinated people exposed to the virus can get the MMR vaccine 72 hours after exposure (but before symptoms are present) to prevent an infection, according to health officials.
Denver7 has been closely following confirmed cases of measles in Colorado amid a multi-state outbreak of the virus in the U.S. this year. Check out some related stories in the links below.
- Colorado health officials address use of vitamin A after state reports first case of measles amid US outbreak
- Colorado health officials recognize 'challenging' reporting delays as number of measles cases tick up
- Colorado pediatrician shares how to protect children amid rise in measles cases
While the two-dose series of the MMR vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate against infection, about three in every 100 people can still get infected if exposed to the virus, according to the CDC. Vaccinated individuals will usually develop milder symptoms and are less likely to spread it to others, according to state health officials.
People who got vaccinated against measles before 1968 should talk to their health care provider about possibly getting a booster, as the vaccine used before that year wasn't as effective.
Colorado hasn't seen this many measles cases since 1996, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 7 cases across the state.
The remaining 14 measles cases across the state this year have been confirmed in Arapahoe County (4), Denver (4), El Paso County (4), and one each in Pueblo and Pagosa Springs.
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