FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Health announced Wednesday a confirmed case of measles in an adult in Franklin County. This is the first confirmed measles case in Kentucky since February 2023.
Officials said the person had recently traveled internationally to an area with "ongoing measles transmission." After returning home, the individual did go to a Frankfort Planet Fitness while infectious.
Kentucky health officials said they are working to identify and contact anyone who may have been exposed to the virus, including those who were at the Planet Fitness on Allen Way Monday, Feb. 17 between 9 a.m. and noon.
"The thing that people need to be mindful of is that measles lingers for quite some time," said Jennifer Mooney, PhD., district director of health at the Northern Kentucky Health Department.
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Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious health issues, especially for children. Symptoms like high fever, a cough, running nose or red eyes can appear eight to 12 days after exposure. A measles rash usually appears around three to five days after those symptoms begin, usually starting on the face.
"Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world,” KDPH Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said in a release. "Fortunately, measles can be prevented with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and effective. Vaccines are an essential tool to keep children and adults safe and healthy."
Mooney said the risk of spread to Northern Kentucky is low but people — especially those who are unvaccinated — should remain vigilant.
"I do think it is disheartening when science has paved a way for us to create healthy communities, especially for our children prevent unnecessary death," she said. "And yet, we're seeing ourselves take steps backward into a pattern where this could become more and more common as time goes by, if people do not trust the vaccine."
Per the CDC, the vaccination rate among Kentucky children, for MMR, has dropped 3.4% between 2018 to 2019 and 2023 to 2024: it now sits at around 90%. Herd immunity for measles can be reached when 95% of the entire community — not just kids — is reached.
Mooney said vaccination rates for Northern Kentucky vary county by county, but overall for the region, it sits above 91%.
This case comes as two southwest states, Texas and New Mexico, deal with measles outbreaks. The larger outbreak in west Texas includes more than 100 cases across seven counties and 16 known hospitalizations. It's the largest measles outbreak in the state for around 30 years.
Most of those cases are among children. Texas health officials announced the death of one unvaccinated child related to the outbreak Wednesday, the first measles-related death reported in the U.S. since 2015.
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