- Measles was discovered in the Provo area’s wastewater in a preliminary analysis conducted by an independent research program.
- Dr. Leisha Nolen used the surprising find to underscore the relevance of wastewater analysis in tracking the appearance of infections.
- The samples cannot identify a specific house or individual; they are taken from communal water treatment centers.
Measles has been detected in the wastewater in the Provo area collected by an independent testing program, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday afternoon.
Finding measles in the water sample means at least one person in the area had measles when the water was collected the week of July 7. But the finding is not a total surprise, as nine Utah residents — seven of them in Utah County — have confirmed cases of measles.
But health officials said they’re sharing the information to remind people that measles is circulating in Utah County and to warn people to take precautions.
“Wastewater sampling is a new and useful tool for public health,” Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist, said in the department’s news release. “In this case, we know someone had measles in the Provo area around the time the sample was taken.”
She said that the information provided by wastewater is most useful when illness is detected in someone who has not previously been identified with the condition, which is not the case right now.
“When that happens, we will be able to use the data to alert clinicians in those areas to make sure they are aware someone with measles may come in for care,” she said.
Wastewater has been found to be a useful surveillance tool to track infections including COVID-19.
WastewaterSCAN officials told the department about the discovery of measles in the sample Friday. The program, which is based at Stanford University, monitors infectious diseases — specifically measles — in wastewater systems across the nation, including sites in Provo and South Salt Lake.
Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services plans to monitor wastewater for measles at all 35 Utah sites in the future, but the system is not yet fully functional. That should change within the next month.
“When people get sick with measles, they can shed the virus in their feces or urine which then goes into our wastewater or sewer systems. This can then be detected for days to weeks in wastewater samples. This helps us identify communities where people are infected with measles, sometimes even before we know that anyone is sick, ” Nathan LaCross, manager of the department’s Utah Wastewater Surveillance System, said in the department’s news release.
Finding an infection in a tested sample doesn’t identify a specific person or household where the illness occurred. Rather, the samples are taken from the water treatment plant where all of a community’s wastewater is funneled to be treated.
About measles
Measles is a highly contagious illness that easily spreads from person to person unless someone has been vaccinated or already had the illness. While infection may result in mild symptoms like fever, rash, diarrhea and ear infections for some, it can be very dangerous for others, especially including pregnant women, babies and young children.
This year, the U.S. has more measles cases than it has seen in many years, including very significant outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. If spread continues for 12 months, the U.S. is at risk of losing the status it gained 20 years ago as a nation where measles is no longer considered a public health problem.
Utah health officials say measles is so easily spread that 90% of those who are not vaccinated or do not have natural immunity from previous illness who are exposed to measles will get sick. And it can spread before someone develops the telltale rash.
However, the risk of getting measles from wastewater is extremely low, per the department. Measles spreads through the air and close contact with another person. The virus can also linger in the air for some time after someone who has been infected leaves an area.
“This is another reminder that measles is in Utah and it is important to protect ourselves and our families from getting measles. The best protection against measles is the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles when 2 doses are given. It is very rare for someone to get measles if they are vaccinated,” said Nolen.
Measles symptoms may not show up for up to three weeks once someone is infected. The earliest symptoms are usually similar to a cold, including fever, cough and red or watery eyes. A rash follows a few days later. The rash typically starts at the face or hairline and then moves down to cover the rest of the body. It can be accompanied by little white spots in the mouth on the inner lining of the cheeks.
More information on measles in Utah can be found at https://epi.utah.gov/measles/. The Utah case counties updated every day by 3 p.m. online at https://epi.utah.gov/measles-response/.
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