The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) announced Monday a measles outbreak first reported in Woodford County has spread to neighboring Fayette County and health officials are working to identify other people who may have been exposed.
There are currently five measles cases in Kentucky, four of which are connected to the same outbreak. One of the cases, located in Todd County, appears to be unrelated to the Woodford County and Fayette County cases.
These cases are occurring amid global outbreaks of measles, including in Mexico and Canada, and the largest outbreak of measles in the United States since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 1,200 cases this year, including several large outbreaks in other states.
“When there are measles outbreaks in other states and nearby countries, it is not surprising to see spread to Kentucky,” said Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Dr. Steven Stack. “Measles can be very serious, but it is avoidable through vaccination. We urge all parents to have their children vaccinated to ensure they are protected from preventable diseases like measles.”
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. Early symptoms begin 8-12 days after exposure, including high fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes. The characteristic measles rash typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin, usually on the face before spreading down to the rest of the body.
The first dose of measles vaccine is routinely administered in combination with mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) to children at age 12 months through 15 months, and a second dose at age 4 through 6. Two doses of MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective against measles according to the CDC. They recently issued a travel advisory urging everyone traveling outside of the U.S. to receive two doses of MMR vaccine if they have never had measles.
Kentucky’s first confirmed measles case of 2025 occurred in an adult resident in February. The second case occurred in March in a child who was traveling through the state when they sought treatment.
Updated information about measles cases in Kentucky can be found on the KDPH measles website or the CDC measles website.
Kentucky Today