2025: A Year of Throwbacks, Including a Frightening One. From the return of bootcut jeans to the resurgence of wired headphones, 2025 saw a wave of nostalgia. But amidst the fashion and tech revivals, a more concerning blast from the past emerged: measles. For the first time in over two decades, this highly contagious disease made its unwelcome return to Mesa County.
But the story doesn't end there... The measles outbreak wasn't confined to Mesa County; it was a nationwide issue.
Nationally, over 1,900 cases were reported, breaking a 30-year record for annual infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 47 outbreaks across the country. More than 200 people were hospitalized, and tragically, three individuals lost their lives – two unvaccinated children in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico.
For comparison, the previous years show a stark contrast: 285 confirmed cases in 2024 across 16 outbreaks, and a mere 59 cases in 2023. It's important to remember that measles was declared eliminated in the year 2000.
The outbreak started in January, with a few cases in Texas's South Plains, quickly escalating to over 100 cases by the end of February, spreading into New Mexico. By April, the disease had reached parts of Colorado, like Pueblo and Denver, but Mesa County saw the highest number of cases within the state.
In early June, Mesa County had a close call when an infected Colorado Springs resident made a pit stop at a local travel stop. Fortunately, no infections resulted from this exposure. However, a Grand Valley resident tested positive for measles on August 15th.
Kathleen Satterfield, Mesa County Public Health Epidemiologist Supervisor, explained that this single case triggered an outbreak, leading to six additional infections in the following weeks. Adding to community concerns, the local public schools began their academic year just a week before the first case was confirmed.
Despite the challenges, Mesa County Public Health, along with its statewide counterparts, successfully contained the outbreak by September 24th – approximately 37 days after the initial case was announced.
In total, Mesa County experienced 11 measles infections, but thankfully, none resulted in hospitalization or death.
According to Satterfield, the successful containment of the outbreak was largely due to the department's strong partnerships and their ability to implement an emergency response.
"We found out just how strong our partnerships are in the community, whether that be with medical providers or the school district," Satterfield stated. "We collaborated very well to respond to the outbreak as fast as possible and contain it. I would say that’s our biggest takeaway.”
And this is the part most people miss... A dedicated team of 27 department employees worked tirelessly, tracing exposures to over 300 residents, monitoring over 50 exposed individuals, and answering an average of nearly 100 daily questions through a temporary measles hotline. These employees, cross-trained in emergency disease surveillance, were able to quickly mobilize and respond effectively.
Even though the Mesa County outbreak is now in the past, Satterfield emphasizes that vaccination remains crucial in preventing future infections and outbreaks.
"We want to let the importance of the vaccine continue beyond this point,” she said. “It’s still important for people to get vaccinated. Measles is a preventable virus, and the MMR vaccine is highly effective and very safe.”
"We’re fully prepared to respond if any additional cases of measles come up in the future,” she added. “We’re at the helm, and we’re continuing to monitor.”
But here's where it gets controversial... The role of vaccination is a hot topic. Do you believe that vaccination should be mandatory? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
