DENVER — Colorado health officials said Wednesday an infant too young to be vaccinated against measles who caught the virus after traveling to Mexico has spread the disease to at least one of their household relatives, but they added the risk of exposure from this latest case to the general public is nil.
This latest case — a Denver adult whose vaccination status could not be confirmed — is the second for the city of Denver and the fourth for Colorado overall (with the other two reported in Pueblo and Pagosa Springs) amid a multi-state outbreak across the nation. As of Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had confirmed a total of 800 cases — the second worst year since the disease was eliminated 25 years ago.
Despite the uptick in cases compared to years past, Colorado has yet to report an outbreak of measles this year.
Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) officials said the adult patient in this case has been in public health quarantine during their infectious period and after assessing any potentially public exposures while the individual was contagious, health officials determined there is no risk of measles to the public from this new case.
"This person was already in quarantine when their symptoms developed because they had been identified as a close contact to the initial case and did not already have immunity to measles," a DDPHE spokesperson said in an email to Denver7, adding that a blood sample from this individual showed they did not have immunity to measles. "Because they were a known close contact, DDPHE has regularly been in contact with them and was alerted immediately when their symptoms developed."
There is still a possibility that new cases will pop up in Denver related to the unvaccinated infant who could have exposed people who visited the Denver Health Emergency Department on Sunday, April 6, between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., since symptoms typically begin seven to 14 days after exposure but may take up to 21 days to appear.
- The Infogram below shows the number of measles cases in the U.S. from 2000 to the present day. Click here to view the graphic full screen.
“Because measles is highly contagious, people who are not immune and have been in close contact with someone who has the virus are directed to quarantine during the incubation period,” DDPHE officials said in a news release Wednesday.
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, according to state health officials.
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 — as has happened in Texas and possibly, New Mexico.
“Measles cases can often be severe but are preventable,” Denver health officials said in their news release. “The MMR vaccine is safe and highly effective, providing long-lasting protection.”
A single dose of the MMR vaccine confers 93% protection against measles, while a second one ups that number to 97%, according to the CDC. People who have received the full series of the MMR shot don’t need another one after exposure to the virus, though people who received a measles vaccine 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. Unvaccinated people exposed to the virus can get the MMR vaccine 72 hours after exposure (but before symptoms are present) to prevent an infection, state health officials have previously said.
While it is generally recommended that children get the first dose of the MMR vaccine between 12 to 15 months of age, with the second between 4 and 6 years of age, Denver health officials said Wednesday families traveling internationally should talk to her health care provider and ask if it’s appropriate to get their babies a dose of the MMR vaccine at six months of age and whether they may need two more doses after their first birthday.
“Older children, adolescents, & adults also need 1 or 2 doses of MMR vaccine if they don't have evidence of immunity, like a previous measles infection or proof of vaccination,” DDPHE officials said.
- Denver7 brought concerns to the CDPHE about the weeklong delays in reporting to public health amid concerns that the virus may now be spreading undetected. Hear what the state epidemiologist had to say in the video player below.
Denverites who aren’t sure whether they’re vaccinated against measles and don’t have their childhood vaccination records on hand should check Colorado’s immunization database at copublicportal.state.co.us or with their health care provider.
DDPHE officials said people born before 1957 are generally considered to be immune and do not need a vaccine.
People worried about potential exposure to measles should call their health care provider before trying to seek treatment to avoid other people from becoming potentially infected with the virus.
Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, meaning it is no longer constantly present in the country, though there is always a risk of small measles outbreaks when unvaccinated travelers come to the U.S. from countries that have not yet eliminated the disease.
That status is now at risk due to “an unusual and constant increase in confirmed cases of this disease” over the past several years, according to a recent report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
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