Jeffco resident could have exposed travelers at DIA to measles, CDPHE says

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A Jefferson County resident infected with measles could have exposed thousands of people after flying in and out of Denver International Airport earlier this month, state health officials said Friday.

The individual — an adult with unknown vaccination status against the highly transmissible virus — traveled in and out of the airport at least three times during the first week of October, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. State health officials say it’s likely the patient was exposed during travel outside of Colorado.

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The CDPHE says people could have been exposed to measles at the following locations and times listed below:

• Denver International Airport: Between 12:25 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. The individual arrived at Gate C50, rode the airport train to Concourse B, then took an employee shuttle bus to an employee parking lot.
• Denver International Airport: Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. The individual rode an employee shuttle bus from an employee parking lot to Concourse B, then left from Gate B48 at 10:57 a.m.
• Denver International Airport: Between 11:25 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4 and 2 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5. The individual arrived at Gate A18 in Concourse A, rode the train to Concourse B, then took an employee shuttle bus to an employee parking lot.
• CareNow Urgent Care, located at 6413 Fig St. in Arvada: Between 11:35 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Denver7’s Tyler Melito spoke with health officials with Denver Health Friday about this measles case, and what it means for those who may have been exposed.

Dr. Sarah Rowan, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Denver Health told Melito that the measles vaccine has done a lot in lowering the number of cases in both Colorado and the United States.

But Rowan it does not take much for someone who is not vaccinated to contract the virus.

“The virus can stay in the air in sort of respiratory droplets for up to two hours,” Rowan explained.

State health officials said those who were potentially exposed to the virus may develop symptoms through Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Rowan says symptoms include flu-like symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose, redness of the eyes, as well as a rash.

“The incubation period can be like seven days to typically like seven to 14 days, although up to 21 days is reported,” said Rowan.

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 a news release.

Melito also reached out to the CDPHE for the latest information regarding this measles case.

A spokesperson writing; “Public health is in process of reaching out to known contacts to assess their immunity to measles. Individuals who were potentially exposed might not develop symptoms for up to 21 days after exposure. It is too early in the investigation to know if any of the potential exposures will result in additional cases. DIA can be very busy, and it is not possible to determine the exact number of people who may have been exposed in the airport. This is why we share the information about the potential exposure publicly.”

State health official surge people who develop symptoms to call the CDPHE at 720-653-3369 or their local public health agency immediately by phone before trying to seek treatment to avoid other people from becoming potentially infected with the virus. The CDPHE urges people to call an urgent care center or emergency department and explain that you may have been exposed to measles if you do not have a health care provider.

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.

Denver7 has been closely following confirmed measles cases in Colorado amid a multi-state outbreak in the U.S. that began last year. Explore the map by clicking here or check it out below to see where cases have popped up in 2026:

Measles only spreads from people who show symptoms; it does not spread from people who aren’t feeling sick, state health officials said.

Rowan adding that while people may try home remedies such as Vitamin A, it isn’t an effective way to get back to full health.

“home treatment with Vitamin A could be super dangerous,” outlined Rowan.

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. If vaccination is not possible, antibody treatment can help in some cases if it’s given within six days of exposure, state health officials said.

“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community,” the CDPHE spokesperson said.

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 for a prolonged period of time, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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.

Should someone feel they are getting sick, Rowan urges you to get in touch with your care provider, as well as be proactive in communication.

“This is really where it’s so useful to have a primary care doctor or nurse practitioner or or PA, but a primary care provider because then you can reach out and you know review your symptoms and they may just say you just need reassurance, stay home, rest, liquids, or you know a trained healthcare professional will know what the red flags are,” said Rowan. “If they’re going to get tested, it’s really helpful to call ahead and let the clinic or the emergency department or the urgent care know they’re coming because we try to get folks into a private room immediately. The last thing we want is someone who could potentially have measles to be spreading that in a waiting room.”

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Colorado measles cases have slowed, but numbers are still high

Colorado experienced a reprieve in measles activity this summer following several outbreaks in the northeastern part of the state at the beginning of the year, but the highly contagious disease started making headlines again after the CDPHE announced an international visitor who was later confirmed to have measles traveled to areas northwest of Denver in mid-September.

Rowan says it’s part of a growing trend that is concerning her and other health officials.

“I just read that this case in Jefferson County was the first case of measles since 2004, but then we know that there are these clusters of outbreaks with numbers that you know really have not been seen in in decades,” Rowan shared.

As of Friday, Colorado had reported 26 cases of the virus across 9 counties: Adams (5), Arapahoe (1), Broomfield (5), Delta (1), Jefferson (1), Lake (6), Larimer (1), Saguache (1), and Weld (5), according to statewide data. For context, that’s about 72% of all cases the state reported all of last year. Up until 2014, Colorado saw between zero and two cases each year.

Most of the state’s measles cases have occurred in unvaccinated inviduals who traveled to areas of the U.S. with active outbreaks, per state data.

Across the nation, the number of confirmed measles infections this year has so far reached 4,410 — numbers not seen in 35 years, according to CDC data — with the majority of cases happening among unvaccinated children.

At least five measles-related deaths have been reported across the U.S. so far in 2026. The last time the U.S. reported five measles deaths was 35 years ago, in 1991.