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The Utah Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday, Sept. 9, four unvaccinated people contracted measles during the Utah High School Cycling League event at Soldier Hollow Aug. 16.
About 2,000 people attended the cycling competition in the Wasatch Back.
Wasatch County Health Department spokesperson Lana North said the incubation period for measles is three weeks. That ended Sept. 6, and no cases have been reported locally.
“We’re not aware of any measles cases at this time that are in Wasatch County,” she said.
Measles is a reportable disease, meaning county or state health officials are required to be notified of all cases within 24 hours.
Utah High School Cycling League Director Chris Best told KPCW Tuesday the organization learned of the cases Sept. 8 and notified families.
Best said, “To our knowledge, no other regions, nor the following region 6 race has been affected.”
The league also had a race Aug. 30 in Cedar City.
The league doesn’t require athletes to be vaccinated.
Health officials say they’re continuing to monitor for additional measles cases from the event at Soldier Hollow and other cycling league competitions.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the Wasatch County School District confirmed no participants were local students and the event was not connected to the district.
Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease. Utah health officials say it can spread easily, even at outdoor events.
Symptoms of the disease typically appear one to three weeks after exposure. Early signs of a measles infection include a cough, runny nose and red eyes. Later, people with measles can experience a high fever and a blotchy, red rash.
Complications of measles can be life-threatening.
If you suspect you have measles, health officials say you should call before going to the hospital or doctor’s office to avoid spreading the virus.
As of Sept. 8, 22 Utahns have been infected with measles this year, including seven cases in Utah County.
On Sept. 4, the Summit County Department of Health reported measles was found in Coalville wastewater, but so far, no cases have been confirmed in Summit County.
Utah DHHS spokesperson Josh Loftin said the best thing Utahns can do to prevent the spread of measles is get vaccinated.
“The No. 1 message is, the vaccinations work, they’re safe, and I would hope that everyone gets vaccinated and takes the proper precautions,” he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles after the recommended two doses.
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