Pitkin County health staff say respiratory season waning; county tracking avian influenza, measles and mpox trends

Carly, a public health official with Pitkin County Community Health Services, told the Pitkin County Board of Health on April 11 that local respiratory‑illness activity — including flu, COVID‑19 and RSV — has declined, but several other infectious‑disease risks require ongoing surveillance.

‘‘Locally and nationally, respiratory illness season is on its way out,’’ Carly said, summarizing CDC influenza‑like illness trackers and state signals. She noted that flu hospitalizations this season exceeded COVID‑19 hospitalizations in the county at times and that the flu season ran long compared with prior years.

Why it matters: respiratory seasons, measles outbreaks and emerging animal infections affect hospital capacity, immunization planning and local prevention priorities.

Avian influenza (H5N1) Carly described a global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 that is endemic in wild birds and has caused sporadic spillover to poultry and some mammals. She said the current public‑health risk to people remains low but that the county is monitoring reports after H5N1 detections in dairy cattle and a small number of human cases nationally. ‘‘Public‑health risk is low right now, but because of the virus’s ability to mutate and affect mammals, we’re keeping a close watch,’’ she said.

Local recommendations include not approaching sick or dead wild birds, increasing biosecurity for backyard poultry, and reporting suspected sick domestic or wild animals to Colorado Parks and Wildlife or to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

Measles and vaccination Carly told the board that the United States has seen an increase in measles cases and outbreaks in 2024, with many cases linked to travel and under‑vaccinated communities. She said that 95% MMR coverage is the population threshold typically used to prevent spread and that, while Pitkin County reported high MMR rates in routine data cited by the presenter, Colorado overall is below the ideal threshold and therefore at higher relative risk. ‘‘Even though our resident population vaccination rates are high, we have a large influx of visitors and seasonal workers whose immunization status is unknown,’’ she said.

MPox and STI trends Carly reported rising mpox cases in Colorado and an increase in syphilis and late‑stage syphilis in the state, and she said local health partners have increased testing for at‑risk groups. She also addressed misinformation linking cancer diagnosis timing to COVID‑19 vaccines: ‘‘There is no data that vaccines caused later‑stage cancer diagnoses; the better explanation is delayed medical care during the pandemic led to later detections,’’ she said.

Surveillance system transition Carly reported that Colorado’s CDARS electronic disease‑reporting system is being retired in mid‑May and replaced with a new state system (presenter named it in‑session). She said the transition is expected to be an operational improvement but requested patience for up to a few months as dashboards and historic reporting adjust to the new platform.

Ending: County public‑health staff will circulate slides and resource links for reporting sick wildlife, checking school‑level immunization coverage and for mpox and STI testing resources. Board members asked to receive the presentation deck so local partners such as wildlife rehabilitators could use the guidance.