On Jul. 11, 2025, the Utah Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) reported that an independent testing program detected measles in the wastewater in the Provo area from a sample collected on July 7. This means at least one person was in the area who had measles at that time. To date, nine Utah residents have been confirmed to have measles, seven of which are residents of Utah County.

This particular detection is not a surprise to public health officials, who are sharing this information to affirm that measles is circulating in Utah County and to encourage individuals to take precautions. We would encourage anyone with symptoms of measles to contact a healthcare provider right away.

DHHS was notified of the positive sample by WastewaterSCAN officials on July 11, a program based at Stanford University which monitors infectious diseases, specifically measles, in wastewater systems across the nation, including two sites in Utah (located in Provo and South Salt Lake). Utah DHHS will be monitoring wastewater across all 35 Utah sites for measles; however, that system is not yet fully functional. We expect our testing will be available in the next month.

Measles is an illness that spreads very easily from one person to another. While many people with measles will have mild illnesses (such as fever, rash, diarrhea, or ear infections), it can cause serious health complications, especially for pregnant women, babies, and young children.

Measles is so contagious that 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people who come into contact with the virus will get sick if they are not protected. A person who has measles can spread the illness to others even before they have a rash. Measles virus spreads through the air and close contact with an infected person.