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Ouray County public health warns of measles cases in Colorado, seeks work session to discuss wastewater surveillance funding
Summary
Public health director briefed commissioners on measles risks, local vaccination rates and the county’s nascent wastewater surveillance program; staff requested a work session to discuss contingency funding after state grant disruption and possibility of adding measles testing to surveillance.
Ouray County Public Health Director (name not specified) told the Board of County Commissioners on April 8 that measles is present in Colorado and public‑health staff are increasing outreach and vaccination clinics locally.
The director said two confirmed Colorado cases had been reported as of early April — an unvaccinated adult in Pueblo County (March 31) and a baby under 1 who traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico — and described measles as "highly contagious," noting it can remain infectious in air or on surfaces for up to two hours and that people may be contagious four days before they develop a rash. The director said, "MMR vaccine is safe for most people," and urged residents to check vaccine records with providers or call the public‑health office for guidance.
The director provided county vaccination rates from the 2023–24 school year: Ridgeway school district 90.3 percent (goal 95 percent), Ouray 87.7 percent, and Ridgeway preschool 78.1 percent. The director said the county recently held school vaccine clinics and will continue outreach.
The director also described a wastewater surveillance pilot the county started with the state. That program briefly paused after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified grantees that certain COVID‑related funding was being cut; the state issued a stop‑work notice March 27 that affected county activities. A federal court temporarily enjoined the termination and the stop‑work notices were lifted April 5. The director said the county lost roughly $55,000 in funding tied to COVID‑resiliency work but that testing resumed and an initial Ridgeway sample was sent to the state lab.
Commissioners asked the director to return for a focused work session to discuss contingency funding if state grants lapse, expansion of wastewater testing (including adding measles), potential regional partnerships (Montrose/Mesa County and regional airports were discussed), and how to set trigger points for action based on wastewater trends. The board agreed to schedule the work session.
