On Feb. 24, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) confirmed a case of measles in an individual who attended Asbury University Outpouring services on Feb. 17 and 18.
“If you attended the Asbury University gathering on Feb. 17 or 18 and you are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated against measles, you should quarantine for 21 days after your last exposure and monitor yourself for symptoms of measles so that you do not spread measles to others,” the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a health advisory.
The individual was a Jessamine County resident who had a recent history of international travel, according to the KDPH. No further information was given regarding the individual due to privacy concerns.
The KDPH told CNN that they are currently working with Asbury, the CDC, and the Jessamine County Health Department to continue monitoring the issue.
This is the third case of measles confirmed in Kentucky since Dec. 2022. The first, reported in Christian County, was linked to an outbreak in Ohio. The second was reported in Powell County in January.
“These two previous cases were thoroughly investigated and neither presented a public health threat,” Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced in a news release.
Symptoms appear 10 to 14 days after contact. They include a dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, and a rash which usually starts on the face and spreads downward after three to five days. Despite the 97% efficacy of its vaccine, measles can be dangerous, particularly to young children, according to the CDC. About one in five people who contract measles are hospitalized as a result.
Individuals who believe they have contracted or have been exposed to measles should quarantine for 21 days. They also need to notify a healthcare facility, according to KDPH Commissioner Steven Stack. Following quarantine, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated.
“The MMR vaccine is very safe and effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective,” the CDC says on its website.
In the United States, measles cases rose from 49 in 2021 to 121 in 2022, all among unvaccinated children. This includes outbreaks in Minnesota and Ohio throughout November and December.