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KY Confirms Measles Case
- By: admin
- On: 02/28/2025 13:55:19
- In: KPhA Updates
The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) has identified a confirmed case of measles in an adult who recently traveled internationally to an area with ongoing measles transmission. This is the first confirmed case of measles in a Kentucky resident since February 2023. KDPH is working with local health departments to identify and contact individuals who may have been exposed. This case comes amidst a rise in cases of measles globally and domestically, including a large ongoing outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. On February 26, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced the first death associated with the outbreak in an unimmunized school-aged child. This is the first measles related death in the United States since 2015.
- Be alert for signs and symptoms of measles, particularly among people who have not received two doses of measles-containing vaccine. Healthcare providers should also consider outreach to patients who are eligible for MMR vaccination to encourage routine immunization.
- Collect detailed travel history for patients with febrile rash illness and consider measles in patients who report any international travel, as well as travel to areas in the U.S with ongoing outbreaks.
- Measles is a reportable disease requiring urgent notification. If measles is suspected, healthcare facilities should implement appropriate infection prevention and control measures and report any case, suspected case, or positive laboratory result immediately via telephone to the local public health department jurisdiction in which the patient resides within 24 hours. Do not wait for a positive result to initiate contact with public health.
- Measles virus testing is available at the KDPH Division of Laboratory Services (DLS) for eligible clinical specimens upon approval. KDPH requests that providers send specimens for PCR testing of all suspect measles cases to DLS rather than to commercial labs, to avoid significant delays in public health response measures.
- Measles resources for healthcare providers and the public can be found on the KDPH measles website.