Updated at 4:58 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2024.
Colorado public health officials confirmed on Tuesday a new case of measles.
This time it's in an out-of-state resident who was in Gunnison County.
Public health reporting standards generally tie a case to the individual’s state of residence, according to the state health department. This means that this case, even if identified or investigated here, is counted in their home state's official tally, not Colorado's. The state’s case count has been 16 since June 18.
The state health department released a pair of potential exposure locations from earlier this month in Gunnison and Almont, which is a small, unincorporated town in the county. One is a trading post in Almont, the other is the Gunnison Valley Health Hospital in Gunnison.
Measles is highly contagious. It can lead to serious health problems. But it is preventable by the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. Symptoms include: fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a notable rash that generally starts a few days later on the face and spreads.
Based on available information, anyone who was in the Taylor Park Trading Post in Almont, Saturday, July 12, 4-7 p.m. or Gunnison Valley Health Hospital Wednesday, July 16-17, 3 p.m. - 10 a.m., may have been exposed to measles. They should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure and think about avoiding public gatherings or high-risk settings, according to the press release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The agency said monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. MMR vaccine, given within 72 hours after exposure, can prevent or reduce the severity of infection. Immunoglobulin (IG), if administered within six days of exposure, may also be used in some circumstances. Locations will be updated, as necessary, the release said.
As of July 25, 2025, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 1,309 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. for the year, reported in 40 states. There have been 29 outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) reported, with 88 percent of cases associated with an outbreak. Three people have died; in 13 percent of cases, the person was hospitalized. In the vast majority of cases, 92 percent, the person was unvaccinated or had unknown vaccine status.
The CDPHE measles webpage includes information about symptoms, transmission, and vaccine recommendations, 2025 Colorado measles case information, and a current list of exposure locations.
Colorado has recorded a sharp uptick in the number of people getting vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. Nearly 100,000 doses have been administered this year. That’s a nearly 60 percent increase compared to the same time period last year. The state has added this information in a new tab on its online measles dashboard.
Editor's note: This story was edited to reflect that the person who was infected was from out-of-state, so it was not counted officially as a Colorado case.
