Kentucky Health News
An unvaccinated Jessamine County resident has tested positive for measles, marking the first confirmed case of measles in a Kentucky resident since July, state health officials announced Jan. 15.
This person was exposed to the highly contagious virus by an out-of-state traveler in Fayette County between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2.
“Measles is a serious and contagious virus that has seen a resurgence in recent years,” Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in a news release. “We continue to urge families to take these risks seriously and to protect themselves and their communities by getting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.”
Public health officials are investigating additional community exposures to measles as a result of this Jessamine County case, and contacting individuals who are believed to have been exposed.
“People who may have been exposed should monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days after potential exposure,” Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. John Langefeld said in the release. “Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and rash. If you believe that you have been exposed to measles and you have symptoms, please call your health care provider.”
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can live for up to two hours in the airspace after an infected person leaves the room.
“If you have measles, up to 90% of the people close to you, who are not immune, will also become infected,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health officials say currently, the risk to the broader public is low, but it’s still important to get vaccinated.
“The best way to protect against measles is through the MMR vaccine. Receiving two doses of MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles,” according to the release. “While the two-dose vaccine is typically administered to children, people of any age can contact their doctor, pharmacy or local health department about receiving the vaccine.”
Health officials also continue to encourage good health habits to prevent transmission of measles and other contagious illnesses, such as washing hands often with soap and warm water, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying at home from work or school when sick.