DENVER — Colorado health officials on Wednesday confirmed the state’s 12th measles case of the year as the number of people who’ve contracted the virus from an infected individual at Denver International Airport continues to grow.
The state’s latest case — a Denver adult vaccinated against measles — was a passenger on Turkish Airlines flight 201, which arrived at Denver International Airport on May 13, state health officials said in a news release.
They said seven of the state’s 12 cases have been tied to an unvaccinated traveler from out-of-state who was infectious during the flight. Four of those seven cases were passengers on the flight and the remaining three were at the airport when they were exposed to the virus the following day.
The growing outbreak at DIA along with others at airports across the nation has prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to now recommend that all U.S. travelers going to any international destination be fully vaccinated against measles following dozens of reports of travelers who were contagious while flying into the country.
Vaccinated individual may have exposed people to measles in Denver, Windsor and Glendale
In Denver, the individual may have exposed shoppers and staff at the Trader Joe’s located at 661 Logan St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on Thursday, May 29, between 9:30-11:40 a.m.
In Windsor, people may have been exposed at the King Soopers located at 1520 Main St. on Friday, May 30, between 10:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
In Glendale, the individual may have exposed people at the Target located at 4301 E. Virginia Ave. on Monday, June 2 from 9:20-11:50 p.m.
If you were at any of these locations and develop measles symptoms, you are asked to contact your local public health agency immediately by phone before trying to seek treatment to avoid other people from becoming potentially infected with the virus. If you do not have a provider, call an urgent care center or emergency department and explain that you may have been exposed to measles.
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 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.
That means unvaccinated people exposed to the virus in Denver and Windsor are no longer able to get an MMR vaccine, but people who may have been exposed at the Target in Glendale can still get a dose of the MMR vaccine until Thursday, June 5.
People exposed at the Trader Joe's in Denver may develop symptoms through June 19, while those exposed at the King Soopers in Windsor and the Target in Glendale may develop symptoms through June 20 and June 23 respectively, according to the CDPHE.
The Scripps News Group 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 3 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 11 measles cases across the state this year have been confirmed in Arapahoe County (3), Denver (3), El Paso County (3), and one each in Pueblo and Pagosa Springs.
As of Friday, the CDC had confirmed a total of 1,088 measles cases — the second worst year since the disease was eliminated 25 years ago. Two children and one adult have died in the current nationwide outbreak. None were vaccinated against measles.
