Measles Quarantine Discussed in Kentucky

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kentucky Health Department recently alerted health officials and the public that there was a significant measles exposure event southwest of Lexington.

Asbury University, located in Wilmore, KY, hosted an on-campus event in mid-February 2023 that included about 20,000 attendees from around the U.S.

A measles case was confirmed on February 24, 2023, in an unvaccinated person who attended this gathering while infectious.

The CDC says that anyone unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated against measles should quarantine for 21 days. And anyone with measles symptoms should isolate and call a health care facility before testing.

With declines in measles vaccination rates, outbreaks are occurring in all World Health Organization Regions.

Significant measles outbreaks have been reported in the European, African, Eastern Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian Regions.

In the U.S., recent measles outbreaks were confirmed in Minnesota and Ohio.

The CDC says measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, with access to measles vaccines at most health clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.