Officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) and Franklin County Health Department have announced a confirmed case of measles identified in an adult Kentucky resident, which they are calling the state’s first case in two years.
The Frankfort area resident had recently traveled internationally to an area with ongoing measles transmission, and both the state and local health officials are working to identify and contact individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. He is said to have visited the Planet Fitness location in Frankfort on Monday Feb. 17 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. while infectious, and officials warn that people who were there at that time may have been exposed.
“Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said. “Fortunately, measles can be prevented with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and effective. Vaccines are an essential tool to keep children and adults safe and healthy.”
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. Recent estimatesfrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that MMR vaccine coverage among Kentucky kindergartners is only 90%, which is lower than the national average.
Individuals who were exposed to the measles virus and are unvaccinated should quarantine for 21 days after their exposure and contact their health care provider immediately if they develop symptoms.
Stack notes, “If you have been exposed to measles are going to see a health care practitioner, it is important to call the facility to make them aware of your measles exposure and symptoms prior to entering so that others are not exposed.”
Kentucky’s measles case comes amid a significant rise in cases of measles globally and within the U.S. According to the CDC, there have been three measles outbreaks in the U.S. in 2025, including ongoing outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. Texas health officials announced the death of an unvaccinated child related to the measles outbreak on Wednesday, which is the first measles-related death reported in the U.S. since 2015.
The last confirmed case of measles in Kentucky was in February 2023.
(Photo courtesy of WDRB.com)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
