DENVER — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on Monday announced the state's first confirmed case of measles since 2023 amid recent outbreaks in surrounding states and across the country.
The case involves an unvaccinated Pueblo adult who recently traveled to an area of Mexico "experiencing an ongoing measles outbreak," according to CDPHE.
The department said people who visited the Southwest Deli and Cafe, located at 1873 South Pueblo Boulevard in Pueblo, between Monday, March 17 and Friday, March 21 may have been exposed to the disease. Anyone at the Southern Colorado Clinic between 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 22 may have also been exposed.
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 deli or clinic 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.
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we know, but it is also highly preventable,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, deputy chief medical officer and state epidemiologist, in a statement. “The MMR vaccine provides excellent protection and helps prevent outbreaks like the one we are seeing globally. We urge Coloradans to review their vaccination status and take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
This is the state's first confirmed case of measles since December 2023, which involved an international traveler who arrived in Colorado. Prior to that, Colorado had not seen a confirmed case of measles since 2019.
In an interview on March 17, Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention and control for UCHealth, said it was a matter of time before Colorado saw its first case of measles.
"If you are unvaccinated, you are at higher risk of developing complications from measles if you're exposed. And there is still a good opportunity to get vaccinated if you have not received them in the past," Barron told Denver7.
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