DIA named measles exposure site; new case confirmed in Mesa County resident

DENVER (KDVR) — Officials are warning of two new measles incidents and possible exposures across Colorado as a new measles case has been confirmed in a Mesa County resident, and another case was confirmed in a traveler at Denver International Airport.

On Friday, health officials confirmed an adult Mesa County resident had measles and said Monday they had confirmed an “additional case of measles in a Mesa County resident.” The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that the adult resident’s vaccination status is unknown and “may have had a common exposure with the first Mesa County case reported last week.”

The Mesa County Public Health department is investigating the case, and said the first measles case reported on Friday had “no known connection to other recent exposures reported in Colorado and has not traveled outside the state.”

On Monday, CDPHE also reported a possible exposure at DIA on Concourse C. The out-of-state traveler had a confirmed case of measles and arrived at gate C51 and boarded another flight at gate C50 on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

“This incident serves as a reminder that travel in crowded public spaces, such as airports, increases the risk of exposure to various communicable diseases. It is important for everyone to stay up to date on their vaccinations, especially before traveling, to protect themselves and others,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist, in a release.

This is the second time a possible measles exposure has been reported at DIA in 2025. At least seven measles cases were reported to have been connected to the Turkish Airlines flight.

Measles is highly contagious, but CDPHE says that two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing the disease.

Here are the exposure locations provided by CDPHE on Monday:

Measles symptoms can take up to 21 days to present after exposure, and anyone who may have been exposed should monitor for symptoms and avoid public gatherings or high-risk settings.

If you do start to present symptoms of measles, which include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a characteristic rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads. If you were at one of the exposure locations, immediately contact a health care provider by phone. If you do not have a provider, contact urgent care or an emergency department and explain your exposure to measles.

CDPHE told FOX31 in February that prior to 2025, the last confirmed case of measles in the state was reported in December 2023, and that most of the time, measles cases occur in Colorado after travel or in under-vaccinated communities.

According to CDPHE data, there have been 21 measles cases in Colorado during 2025.