State health officials are urging Madison Countians to be on alert for signs of measles infection after at least two suspected cases were identified in persons who visited two Richmond locations.
Anyone who entered the Lowe's on the Eastern Bypass on August 24 between 1:15 pm and 3:45 pm is advised to monitor themselves through September 14 for symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and rash, and to contact their healthcare provider or local health department if symptoms develop.
Similarly, anyone who visited Baptist Health Urgent Care at the University Shopping Center, on either August 27 from 8:45 am to 11:45 am, or on August 28 from 8:15 am to 2:30 pm, should also be alert for the same symptoms through September 17 and 18, respectively.
State health officials recommend Kentuckians be aware of their risk of infection by checking their vaccination status. Those who have medical documentation of past measles infection or other laboratory evidence of immunity, and those who have had a measles-containing vaccine like the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, or who have medical documentation of past measles infection, are considered immune. Individuals born before 1957 are also considered immune.
Check the Kentucky Immunization Registry Public Portal, contact your primary care provider, or the school you attended for grades K-12, if you are unsure of your immunity status.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus. A rash, spreading from the head down, usually appears in infected persons about 14 days after exposure. Infected persons are considered to be contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after the rash appears. Sometimes immunocompromised patients do not develop the rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Persons who have no symptoms 21 days post-exposure are considered uninfected.
There have been 29 confirmed cases of the virus in Kentucky this year, 17 of them occurring this month, according to the state's measles dashboard. About half (14) of cases have been in Christian County. Four cases have been confirmed in Jessamine County.
The vaccination status of all confirmed cases have been either unvaccinated or unknown, according to the state department of health. Fifteen of the cases have occurred in school-aged children (ages 5 through 17), nine have been in adults (18 and older), and five have been in preschoolers or younger.
Measles infection often occurs with secondary bacterial infections, which can cause tonsillitis, ear infections, and pneumonia, according to the CDC. One out of every 1,000 measles cases will develop acute encephalitis, which can lead to permanent brain damage, while one to three out of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications, the CDC warns.
If you suspect you have been exposed to measles, state health officials ask that you stay at home to avoid spreading infection. If you need medical care, call ahead to let your provider know you suspect you've been exposed to the virus so appropriate precautions can be taken.
