4 new measles cases reported in Kentucky

Karla Ward, Lexington Herald-Leader on Jun 28, 2025

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Four new cases of measles have been reported in Kentucky this week, including three in one household in Woodford County.

The fourth case is in Todd County and is not related to the other three cases, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services said Friday. That person was exposed to someone with measles while traveling internationally.

The state said none of the four people had been vaccinated for measles.

“Health officials are working to identify others who may have been exposed to those infected while they were contagious,” the news release stated.

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, urged parents to have their children vaccinated against measles, which he said is “a serious disease.”

“These cases occur amid the largest measles outbreak in the United States since it was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000,” the news release stated. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 1,200 cases this year, including several large outbreaks in other states.”

Two other measles cases have been reported in Kentucky this year, including one case in an adult in Franklin County in February and another in March involving a child who is not a resident of Kentucky but was diagnosed while traveling through the state.

Measles is a respiratory virus that is spread through the air. Symptoms, which can include fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes, usually start eight to 12 days after exposure, and the rash most people associate with the illness usually shows up three to five days after the other symptoms begin.

The highly contagious illness can cause serious complications, particularly for young children.

The cabinet says immunization rates among Kentucky kindergarten students have dropped recently. For the 2024-25 school year, 86.9% of the state’s kindergarten students were fully vaccinated for measles, below the national average of 93%.