ARCHULETA COUNTY, Colo. — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on Tuesday announced the state's third confirmed case of measles, this time in an Archuleta County adult with an unknown vaccination history.
Archuleta County is located in southern Colorado along the New Mexico border and includes Pagosa Springs.
The person did not travel outside of Colorado, meaning there is a chance they contracted the disease through community transmission, according to CDPHE. The agency said the person sought care on Monday, March 31, and was contagious from March 26 through April 3.
State
CDPHE addresses use of vitamin A for measles after confirmed case in Pueblo
This is the state's third confirmed case of measles amid recent outbreaks. The first involved an unvaccinated Pueblo adult with recent international travel, while the second involved an unvaccinated Denver County infant under 1 year old with recent international travel. CDPHE said this third case does not appear to be connected to the other two.
“This case does not appear to be linked to the other cases reported in Colorado and the individual did not travel outside of Colorado, which leaves open the possibility of community transmission,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist and deputy chief medical officer at CDPHE, in a statement. “We urge Coloradans to monitor for symptoms if they may have been exposed, and to make sure they are up to date on their MMR vaccinations.”
In its announcement, CDPHE listed three potential exposure locations, including Wolf Creek Ski Area and Resort.
Symptoms typically develop 7 to 21 days after exposure and include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red eyes
- A "characteristic" rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads
CDPHE said anyone who visited the ski resort, clinic or City Market during the specified dates should monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days after exposure. They should also consider avoiding public gatherings or "high-risk settings."
According to the state health department, measles is highly contagious and often severe but is preventable with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are roughly 97% effective in preventing the disease, according to CDPHE.
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