Salt Lake County reports ‘probable’ 1st measles case, says patient isn’t cooperating

A University of Utah health clinic with a sign warning of measles is pictured in Salt Lake City on June 30, 2025. Photo: McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Salt Lake County health officials announced on Wednesday that they have identified what is likely the county’s first case of measles amid an ongoing national outbreak.

The Salt Lake County Health Department said in a news release it was alerted to the “probable” case late Monday and spent Tuesday “attempting to contact the patient to conduct a disease investigation.”

“The patient has declined to be tested, or to fully participate in our disease investigation, so we will not be able to technically confirm the illness or properly do contact tracing to warn anyone with whom the patient may have had contact,” Salt Lake County Health Department executive director Dorothy Adams said in a prepared statement.

“But based on the specific symptoms reported by the healthcare provider and the limited conversation our investigators have had with the patient, this is very likely a case of measles in someone living in Salt Lake County,” she said.

Health officials urged Utahns to “please speak” with public health workers if they contact you and “provide the information they’re seeking so they can properly investigate the situation and hopefully prevent further illness in our community.”

“Information we get during illness interviews is completely confidential, and we do not share it with anyone — including federal, state, or other local government agencies,” Adams said. “We collect the information only to investigate the source of illness and attempt to prevent further spread.”

To confirm a public health worker’s legitimacy, health officials said to check if their emails come from a .gov address, such as @SaltLakeCounty.gov. If contacted by phone, you can ask the worker to send an email from their verified .gov email address, the department said.

“They may also call a publicly listed phone number for their state or local health department (385-468-4100 for SLCoHD) and ask to be transferred to the investigator who called them,” health officials said.

Salt Lake County officials emphasized that measles is one of the most contagious viruses known.

“It is so easily spread that people who are not immune have a 90% chance of getting the disease if they are near an infected person,” the department said. “Someone with measles can spread it to others even before they know they are ill, and the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area.”

The best protection against the virus is vaccination — specifically, two doses of a measles-containing virus, the most common of which is the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. Two doses can prevent more than 97% of measles infections, according to health experts.

In the remaining 3%, when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with measles, symptoms are “milder, the illness is shorter and the infected person is less likely to spread the disease to others,” health officials said.

Unvaccinated people — including children too young to be vaccinated — are more likely to experience severe complications from a measles infection.

Symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after infection. They include fever, cough, runny nose, and red or watery eyes. Tiny white spots typically appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin. Three to five days after the first symptoms, a rash appears. The rash usually begins as flat, red spots at the hairline or on the face, which then spread down the body.

Many people infected with measles will experience mild symptoms, but about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people need to be hospitalized, according to health officials. Young children, pregnant women and people who have weakened immune systems are more likely to have serious problems from measles.

Salt Lake County health officials listed the following vaccine recommendations, which vary depending on age and vaccination history:

• Children should receive two doses of measles vaccine: one dose at 12 to 15 months of age and another at 4 to 6 years.
• Adults born before 1957 generally do not need to be vaccinated because they are likely already immune to measles due to widespread infection and illness before the measles vaccine became available in 1963.
• Adults who were vaccinated before 1968 should have a second dose because the vaccine used from 1963 to1967 was less effective than the current vaccine, which became available in 1968.
• Adults who were vaccinated in 1968 or later are considered fully protected whether they have one or two doses, though certain higher risk groups (like college students, health care workers and international travelers) should have two doses.

To learn whether you or your child needs a dose of measles vaccine, health officials urge Utahns to talk to their doctors or check their immunization records. Most Utahns’ records are available through the secure Docket app or website.

“If you’re unsure about your vaccination status and don’t have record of having received an MMR, there is no harm in getting an additional dose now,” county officials said. “ The MMR vaccine is widely available at local pharmacies, doctor’s offices or SLCoHD immunization clinics; call 385-468-SHOT to schedule a vaccination appointment at a health department clinic.”

If you suspect you may have measles or learn you have been near someone with measles, health officials urge that you contact your health care provider immediately.

“Tell them about your measles concern so they can make special arrangements to see you without putting other people at risk,” the health department said.

Written by Katie McKellar for Utah News Dispatch