Public health director warns measles, COVID and mosquitoes remain local threats; county schedules mosquito work session

Kristen Kelly, Ouray County public health director, told the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 5 that Colorado had 16 confirmed measles cases and that county officials remain on alert after recent out-of-state exposures. “Measles case counts for Colorado residents remain steady still at 16 confirmed cases,” Kelly said, noting exposures reported July 22 and Aug. 1 prompted contact tracing in nearby counties.

Kelly said immunization records are strong for children (96.3 percent with at least one MMR dose for ages 1–18 in Ouray County) but that adult records are incomplete: “for adults ages 19 and over, the percentage of those that have at least 1 MMR vaccine that we can verify is 23.8 percent.” That incomplete documentation, Kelly said, increases the county’s reason to monitor and to maintain public messaging about symptoms and vaccination status.

Beyond measles, Kelly summarized recent local surveillance for viral respiratory pathogens. Hospitalization data show COVID-19 trending slightly up while influenza and RSV are steady or trending down. County wastewater testing in Ridgeway, she said, has detected SARS-CoV-2 for each of the last three weeks, indicating the virus is circulating locally.

Kelly also briefed the board on West Nile virus activity in Colorado this season and residents’ complaints about large mosquito populations near Ridgeway Reservoir. She said nine human West Nile cases had been reported statewide (as of July 25), including one death, and that mosquito pools have tested positive in some counties on the Front Range but not in the Grand Junction or Delta pools to date. Because county residents reported “a huge increase in mosquitoes,” the board scheduled a work session for Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 2:30 p.m. to consult state entomologists, the neighboring mosquito district manager and local residents.

Kelly urged standard public-health precautions: stay current with recommended vaccines, wash hands, improve indoor air, stay home when sick and obtain testing and care if at risk for severe illness. She said federal COVID vaccine supply is not currently available and that the county will publicize availability if and when new doses are released.

The board did not take new policy action at the Aug. 5 meeting beyond scheduling the mosquito work session and continuing routine signage and public messaging; Kelly said additional operational steps will follow after that meeting.

Kelly also described local public-health operational work funded by recent COVID-resiliency awards: continued weekly wastewater sampling in Ridgeway, purchase of emergency vaccine cold storage, rollout of a new electronic health record (planned for mid-to-late September) and free STI/HIV testing and sharps disposal partnerships with the Western Colorado Health Network.

The county’s mosquito work session is intended to collect local observations, review testing options, and consider both short-term and longer-term mosquito control measures. Kelly said the county has invited the state entomologist and Delta County mosquito district manager to participate.