Kentucky Health Officials confirm measles case in the Commonwealth

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- Health officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the Franklin County Health Department announce a confirmed case of measles identified in an adult Kentucky resident.

Officials say the resident had recently traveled internationally to an area with an ongoing measles transmission. Health officials are now working to identify and contact individuals who may have been exposed to the virus, as the individual attended a fitness center in Frankfort while infectious. Officials say that individuals who visited the Planet Fitness located at 101 Allen Way, in Frankfort Kentucky on Monday February 17 may have been exposed.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus which can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. The virus spreads through the air and can survived for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Individuals who were exposed to the measles virus and are unvaccinated should quarantine for 21 days after their exposure, and should contact their health care provider if they develop symptoms.

The last confirmed case of measles in Kentucky was in February of 2023.