In 2025, a year marked by the return of nostalgic trends like ’90s fashion—think bootcut jeans and denim ensembles—also brought an unwelcome resurgence: measles reemerged in Mesa County after being absent for over twenty years.
But this revival of measles wasn’t just a localized incident. Nationwide, more than 1,900 cases were reported, shattering a record that had stood for over thirty years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that there were 47 separate outbreaks throughout the country, leading to over 200 hospitalizations and three fatalities, which included two unvaccinated children from Texas and an unvaccinated adult from New Mexico.
To put this into perspective, just a year prior in 2024, only 285 measles cases were confirmed across sixteen outbreaks, and even fewer—merely 59 cases—were recorded in 2023. It’s worth remembering that measles was officially declared eliminated in the United States back in 2000.
The year kicked off with a troubling start as a few cases emerged in Texas’s South Plains area, quickly escalating to over 100 cases by February’s end and spilling into New Mexico. By early April, the disease began appearing in regions of Colorado, including Pueblo and Denver; however, Mesa County experienced the highest number of cases within the state.
A potential scare occurred in early June when a resident from Colorado Springs, infected with measles, stopped at the Love’s Travel Stop and Carl’s Jr. on 748 22 Road while passing through Mesa County. Fortunately, this incident resulted in no further spread. However, on August 15, a resident of Grand Valley did test positive for measles, marking the beginning of a local outbreak.
Kathleen Satterfield, the Epidemiologist Supervisor for Mesa County Public Health, informed the Sentinel that this solitary case soon spiraled into an outbreak, with six additional infections traced back to the original patient in the subsequent weeks. This news came just one week after local public schools commenced the academic year, heightening community anxiety.
Thanks to concerted efforts from Mesa County Public Health and their state counterparts, the outbreak was contained by September 24, roughly 37 days after the first case surfaced. In total, the county recorded 11 measles infections, but fortunately, none resulted in hospitalization or death.
Satterfield credited the effective containment of the outbreak to strong community partnerships, emphasizing the collaboration between medical providers and the school district. "We discovered how robust our community relationships are during this crisis," she stated in September. "We worked together efficiently to respond swiftly and manage the outbreak. I consider this our most significant lesson learned."
She mentioned that 27 employees from various sectors of the health department were mobilized for the outbreak response, engaging in tracing exposures among more than 300 locals, monitoring over 50 individuals who might have been exposed, and addressing nearly 100 questions daily via a dedicated measles hotline.
These employees had already undergone cross-training in emergency disease surveillance specifically for situations like this one.
Although the outbreak in Mesa County is now behind us, Satterfield stressed the continued importance of vaccinations in preventing future outbreaks of measles and other contagious diseases. "We want to emphasize the ongoing importance of vaccinations," she said. "Measles is a preventable illness, and the MMR vaccine is both highly effective and safe."
"We are well-prepared to respond if any new cases of measles arise in the future," she added confidently. "We’re monitoring the situation closely and remain ready to act."
This situation raises an important question: How can communities better advocate for vaccination and prevent such outbreaks in the future? Your thoughts on this topic are welcome in the comments!
