The infected individual visited areas of Denver, Boulder, and Aurora the last week of December, sparking concern for a Colorado measles outbreak.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has diagnosed an individual with measles and warned that they may have exposed people in the Denver, Aurora, and Boulder areas last month and inadvertently caused a Colorado Measles exposure.

The diagnosed individual, who has not been identified, is reported to be unvaccinated and had travelled internationally before spending time in Denver, Aurora, and Boulder during the last week of December.

It can take one to two weeks for someone exposed to the Measles virus to become symptomatic, but there have been cases of the incubation period lasting as long as 21 days after initial exposure.

Measles typically begin with patients exhibiting a high fever, persistent cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes (pink eye/conjunctivitis). Two to three days after becoming symptomatic, tiny white spots – known as Koplik spots – begin to appear inside the patient’s mouth. Three to five days after becoming symptomatic, a rash of red, flat raised bumps breaks out on the exterior of the body and fever temperatures spike.

The Department of Health is asking anyone who visited the following locations during these time periods to monitor themselves for measles symptoms and seek medical attention if symptoms materialize.

Westerra Credit Union 14305 E. Alameda Ave. in Aurora, Colorado December 21, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

King Soopers Buckley Square 17000 E. Iliff Ave. in Aurora, Colorado December 21, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Vitamin Cottage 3440 S. Tower Road in Aurora, Colorado December 21, 2016 from 1 to 5 p.m. and Dec. 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Walmart Supercenter, Pioneer Hills 5650 S. Chambers Rd. in Aurora, Colorado December 21, 2016 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Alfalfa's Market 785 E. South Boulder Road in Louisville, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 2 to 4 p.m.

T Mobile 1590 28th St. in Boulder, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

uBreakiFix 1136 Spruce St. in Boulder, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

Rebecca's Apothecary 1227 Spruce St. in Boulder, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Falafel King 1314 Pearl St. in Boulder, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Flatirons Mall, specifically the T Mobile and Brookstone stores 1 W. Flatiron Crossing Dr. in Broomfield, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Chipotle Mexican Grill 1644 E. Evans Ave. in Denver, Colorado December 22, 2016 from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Dollar Tree Englewood Plaza 351 W. Englewood Parkway in Englewood, Colorado December 23, 2016 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Walmart Supercenter 601 Englewood Parkway in Englewood, Colorado December 23, 2016 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Sprouts Farmers Market 2880 S. Colorado Blvd. in Denver, Colorado December 23, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m.

AFC Urgent Care 760 S Colorado Blvd. in Denver, Colorado December 27, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

T Mobile Blvd Center 1685 S. Colorado Blvd. in Denver, Colorado December 27, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Lifetime Fitness 5000 E. Dry Creek Rd. in Centennial, Colorado December 27, 2016 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Parker Adventist Hospital Emergency Department 9395 Crown Crest Blvd. in Parker, Colorado December 29, 2016 from 5:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on December 30

For more information, you can visit the Colorado Department of Health and Environment’s

webpage

for a full press release on this Colorado Measles warning. For any of those who have been in these locations, keep an eye on your health and for the warning signs of the measles!

Measles, once considered to be all but vanquished from the Developed World, has re-emerged in the wake of more and more parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. With more and more Coloradans choosing not to get vaccinated, the likelihood of a Colorado Measles outbreak is higher than it has been in decades. In 2016, Colorado was one of 17 states that reported cases of measles to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.