- Utah reports a consistent decrease in measles cases over the past three weeks.
- Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist, said the decrease is a good sign, but one case in some areas could still lead to rapid spread.
- She said Utah's measles outbreak has spread to more areas and for longer than recent outbreaks in other states.
SALT LAKE CITY — Over the last three weeks, Utah has seen a consistent drop in measles cases.
This decrease can be seen in the number of reported cases, exposure locations and in wastewater testing.
Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, said it is a "really good sign" that only four people were diagnosed with measles last week, but "it certainly doesn't mean things are done."
"We know that just having one person get sick in the wrong community could really lead to a spread to many other people rapidly," she said.
Preventing spread
Throughout the outbreak, some of the biggest contributors to the spread have been sports competitions that gather students from schools throughout the state. As school years are coming to an end, Nolen said the health department is talking to schools about how to protect people and make sure parents of children who are not vaccinated know there is still a risk. She said they encourage kids who are sick not to play.
There are likely some people who contracted measles who weren't tested and aren't included in the statistics. Measles has been detected in the most recent wastewater samples from two health districts, which have not identified any current infections. That could come from people traveling through an area or from unreported cases, Nolen said.
Utah Department of Health and Human Services officials are trying to determine what is causing the decrease, so they can both replicate it if needed in the future and know if it's going to stick. She said two possibilities are an increase in vaccinations and the warmer season.
In Vernal, she said four times as many people were vaccinated for measles this past March than were in March of 2025.
"That community really rapidly decided they didn't want it," she said. "People there recognized that (measles) was in their community, it was a threat, and went and protected themselves. So communities like that taking control really are a big part of controlling this infection."
Nolen said just a few weeks ago, there were many exposure locations throughout Utah listed on the website. Local health departments track locations and contact people who may have been exposed, making many calls to prevent further spread. The state health department helps prevent the spread of measles by coordinating with hospitals to prevent exposures there and spreading information on its website.
How does this outbreak compare?
The two other states with recent large outbreaks, Texas and South Carolina, had outbreaks in unique populations and those did not really spread outside of those populations much. But Utah's situation has been different. Nolen said 24 of the state's 29 counties have been impacted by measles.
This could be because Utahns are "very connected" and interact with one another throughout the state.
"Usually that's a wonderful thing; we want people connected, but unfortunately, it does make it easier to spread disease around," Nolen said.
The other two states also saw a rapid increase and then a decrease, but Utah's outbreak has continued longer.
She said the outbreak is unprecedented in Utah over the last 40 years, where typically measles cases come from someone traveling and infect one or two more people.
"We want to get rid of it again. We want it to not be in our state," Nolen said.
Measles information
Measles begins with typical cold or flu symptoms, but a rash will typically appear a few days later. It often starts at the hairline. Those who may have been exposed are encouraged to watch for symptoms for the next 21 days.
The disease is very infectious. About 90% of people who are not immune, but are exposed in a room within two hours of someone who has measles, will develop an infection.
During Utah's current outbreak, which began in June 2025, there have been 607 cases. Almost 400 of those cases were in children, and almost 50 resulted in hospitalizations.
Nolen said the Utah Department of Health and Human Services is still recommending people talk with their children's pediatrician about early vaccinations for children older than 6 months and an early second dose for children between age 1 and 5. Nolen said she hopes that considering early vaccinations isn't needed for much longer, but she still thinks it is appropriate for now.
