Measles detected in Summit County wastewater testing

A nurse gives a measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine made by Merck at the Utah County Health Department in Provo, Utah. Photo: George Frey

The result indicates that at least one person in the community, or a traveler passing through the area, recently had measles.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — A wastewater sample collected from the Coalville treatment plant on Aug. 26 tested positive for measles, the Summit County Health Department announced this week.

The result indicates that at least one person in the community, or a traveler passing through the area, recently had measles. Officials emphasized that no cases have been reported in Summit County and that the finding is not cause for alarm.

“This announcement is for information purposes only to provide transparency regarding the measles situation in Utah,” the department stated.

Measles and Schools

The announcement comes as local students head back to class. State law requires kindergarten through 12th grade students to have two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. If a case is confirmed in a school, unvaccinated students would be excluded from attending classes and activities for at least 21 days.

Health officials continue to encourage families to check vaccine records and stay current on immunizations.

Monitoring Through Wastewater

Wastewater detection has become a key tool for early-warning surveillance. A positive test does not identify who is infected or how many people are sick, only that measles was present at the time the sample was taken. Officials stressed that the finding does not necessarily mean measles is spreading in the community.

Routine weekly wastewater testing for measles has been ongoing throughout the summer at both the Coalville and Snyderville Basin treatment plants. Results from the most recent round of tests are expected next week.

More information is available at summitcountyhealth.org/measles.