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Utah has seen 10 measles cases statewide, according to a report released Wednesday by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
In the report, the department confirmed that the newest infected person is in the state’s southwest area. And, like the nine people infected before them, that person was unvaccinated against the virus.
That makes three cases this year in the jurisdiction of the Southwest Utah Public Health District, which covers Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, and Washington counties. The other seven cases have been in Utah County.
The state health department reported last week that measles was found in Provo-area wastewater collected July 7. Health officials said that finding was unsurprising, and shows the virus is circulating.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 jurisdictions throughout the country have reported a total 1,309 confirmed cases as of Wednesday. Of those, the center said 1,151 are associated with 29 confirmed outbreaks.
“For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024,” the CDC’s website says, “and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.”
Utah’s department did not list any new locations where people may have been possibly exposed.
According to the state’s health department, the most effective protection against measles is the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which it said is 97% effective when people receive two doses.
The department said symptoms can include a fever over 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit, a cough, runny nose and red eyes. Four days into the fever, infected people usually start developing a rash that state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said starts in their hairline before spreading across their face and then to their body.
Nolen advised unvaccinated people to talk seriously with their doctors about their decision, stressing that adults who choose to get vaccinated help to protect vulnerable babies who are not yet big enough to receive the vaccine.
The department also recommended that women planning to get pregnant should be vaccinated beforehand to protect themselves and their baby. Pregnant women cannot get the vaccine, the department said — and if they get the measles while pregnant, they are at higher risk for stillbirth, miscarriages and medical issues in the baby.