Officials confirm first case of measles in Colorado resident in five years

The highly contagious disease can cause brain damage and even death. State health officials are warning unvaccinated people who were at the Denver airport and Children’s Hospital.

Colorado officials have confirmed the first case of measles in a state resident in five years.

The patient is an adolescent who traveled abroad to several countries, returning to Denver International Airport on Dec. 13, according to the state health department. It’s the first confirmed measles case in a Colorado resident since January 2019.

Health officials said they did not know whether the child was vaccinated.

Measles is highly contagious for those who have not been vaccinated. The virus spreads in the air and can remain airborne for up to two hours. Symptoms, including fever, cough and runny nose, typically start one or two weeks after a person is exposed, though it could take three weeks. Two days after those initial symptoms begin, people get a rash that typically starts at the hairline and spreads down the body.