Five additional people have tested positive for measles in Mesa County, possibly spreading the virus in a Grand Junction hospital, a pizza restaurant and local gas stations.
Two people in Mesa County had tested positive for measles in mid-August. Neither patient had traveled to a location with an outbreak, raising the possibility of silent spread in western Colorado.
Three people who shared a household with one of those patients subsequently tested positive for the virus, but don’t pose a risk to the public because they were in quarantine when they became contagious, said Hope Shuler, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Two additional people who crossed paths with one or both of the initial cases also have gotten sick, and could have inadvertently spread the virus to others, Shuler said.
The state health department on Saturday announced a series of measles exposure locations on the Western Slope, but did not reveal that five new cases had been confirmed.
The new exposure locations are:
- Trailblazer Pizza, 456 Kokopelli Drive, Fruita, from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Aug 22. Symptoms could appear through Sept. 12.
- Community Hospital, 2351 G Road, Grand Junction, 8 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. Aug. 23; 8 a.m. to 10:35 p.m. Aug. 24; 6:20 p.m. Aug. 25 to 8:40 a.m. Aug. 26; 2 p.m. Aug. 26 to 4 a.m. Aug. 27; and 8 a.m. to 10:10 p.m. Aug. 27. Symptoms could appear through Sept. 17.
- Shell Gas Station, 403 Jurassic Ave., Fruita, from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 25. Symptoms could appear through Sept. 15.
- Roper Music Store, 1224 N. 25th St., Grand Junction, from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 25. Symptoms could appear through Sept. 15.
- Golden Gate Petrol, 2385 G Road, Grand Junction, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27. Symptoms could appear through Sept. 17.
Symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that typically starts on the face. Most people become contagious about four days before the rash appears.
People who visited an exposure location and develop symptoms should call a health care provider before seeking help, so they can take precautions to avoid exposing others.
Colorado has now so far this year. The state usually records between zero and two cases a year.
Five people needed hospital care, but no one has died from measles in Colorado this year.
