Measles case tied to DIA: Jefferson County resident may have exposed airport travelers Oct. 3–5
Colorado health officials confirmed the state's 26th measles case of 2026 on Oct. 15, with potential exposures at specific DIA gates, trains, and shuttle buses — and an Arvada urgent care clinic.
A Jefferson County adult has been confirmed with measles, and anyone who passed through specific areas of Denver International Airport between Oct. 3 and Oct. 5 — or visited a Fig Street urgent care in Arvada on Oct. 7 — may have been exposed, Colorado health officials announced Thursday.
An adult whose vaccination status is unknown is at the center of the case, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Jefferson County Public Health. Investigators believe the person was likely exposed during travel outside Colorado, though the source is still under investigation.
The exposure windows at DIA are specific. On Oct. 3, between 12:25 a.m. and 3 a.m., the individual came in through Gate C50, traveled by airport train to Concourse B, and then boarded an employee shuttle bus bound for an employee parking lot. On Oct. 4, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., an employee shuttle bus carried the person from an employee parking lot to Concourse B, where they departed from Gate B48. A third DIA exposure window runs from 11:25 p.m. Oct. 4 to 2 a.m. Oct. 5, when the individual arrived at Gate A18, rode the airport train to Concourse B, and again took an employee shuttle to an employee parking lot, according to the Denver Post.
The fourth exposure site is CareNow Urgent Care at 6413 Fig St. in Arvada, where the individual was present between 11:35 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Oct. 7.
Anyone who was at those locations during those windows should watch for measles symptoms for 21 days after the exposure date — meaning the latest possible symptom onset for the DIA exposures is Oct. 26, and for the Arvada clinic, Oct. 28. The illness typically begins with fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes; a rash then appears several days later, emerging on the face before spreading downward across the body.
CDPHE emphasizes two steps for anyone who thinks they may have been exposed. Unvaccinated individuals have the option of receiving the MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure as a preventive measure; immunoglobulin administered within six days may also offer protection in some cases. Second — and critically — anyone who develops symptoms should call a healthcare provider, urgent care, or emergency department before showing up in person, to avoid exposing other patients and staff.
This is Colorado's 26th confirmed measles case in 2026. Of those 26 cases, 22 were in unvaccinated individuals and 19 involved children and teenagers under 18, according to CDPHE data reported by the Denver Post. The state had confirmed 31 cases by this same point in 2025. Health officials say close attention is particularly important for infants younger than one year, who are not yet old enough to receive the routine MMR vaccine.
CDPHE is maintaining an updated list of exposure locations on its measles webpage and can be reached at 720-653-3369.
Why it matters — Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air in enclosed spaces like airport trains and shuttle buses, putting unvaccinated travelers — especially infants too young for the MMR vaccine — at serious risk from exposures that may not be obvious.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- The confirmed case individual is a DIA employee, suggested by repeated use of employee shuttle buses and employee parking lots.
- No additional cases linked to this exposure had been reported as of Oct. 17, according to CPR News.
Reported by colorado.gov, cdphe.colorado.gov, denverpost.com, cpr.org
