DENVER — Travelers at Denver International Airport and parishioners at a church in Littleton may have been exposed to measles over the weekend after an out-of-state traveler came to Colorado while infectious with the highly contagious disease.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said people could have been exposed at DIA between 9:15 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Feb. 21, after the individual arrived at Gate A83 in Concourse A, traveled through the airport’s main terminal and left the airport for Littleton.
The individual then attended a church service at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, located at 6853 S. Prince St., on Sunday, Feb. 22, between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. People there could have been exposed to the virus at either the 9:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. service, or at a reception that took place at 10:30 a.m., state health officials said.
The out-of-state traveler could have also exposed people at the airport between 9:30 p.m. Sunday and 1:30 a.m. Monday after their flight departed from Gate A76 in Concourse A at 11:29 p.m., a CDPHE spokesperson added.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through the air and can remain airborne for up to two hours — meaning the individual may have exposed thousands of people at DIA and hundreds more at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, even if they were nowhere near the infected person at the time.
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 MMR vaccine — should monitor for symptoms for 21 days and avoid public gatherings or high-risk settings, health officials said in a news release.
State health officials said those who were potentially exposed over the weekend may develop symptoms through Monday, March 16.
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.
- Denver7 took an in-depth look at measles vaccine hesitancy through the eyes of infection experts, a holistic pediatrician, and the psychology behind the politics of it all. You can watch that report in the video player below:
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. Immunoglobulin (IG), if administered within six days of exposure, may also be used in some circumstances, they added.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community,” the CDPHE spokesperson said.
While the two-dose series of the MMR vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate against infection, about 3 in every 100 people can still get infected if exposed to the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (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.
So far this year, Colorado has recorded one measles infection in an unvaccinated Arapahoe County child, according to CDPHE data. Last year, the state recorded a total of 36 cases, the most number of cases since 1995.
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