The mayor said Louisville health officials are doing contact tracing to find who may have been in contact with them.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A case of the measles has appeared in Jefferson County.
In a news conference Tuesday, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said a child had traveled internationally to a country that has a measles outbreak.
This is the first measles case to be confirmed in Jefferson County and the 13th case of measles in the Commonwealth in 2025.
Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital confirmed they saw the patient on July 12, and got the test results back late on July 14.
The mayor said Louisville health officials are doing contact tracing to find who may have been in contact with them.
“Public Health will tell those that they connect with through the contact tracing what to do, but there is a group of people who we will be asking to isolate,” Greenberg said.
The mayor confirmed the case in Jefferson County is not related to the other active cases in the state; of those, 11 people were unvaccinated and one only person had one dose of the vaccine.
“The health and safety of our community and residents are of my utmost importance,” Greenberg said. “Our team is working hard to prevent further spread in the community. I encourage everyone to check their vaccination status and get vaccinated if needed, as it is the most effective way to protect ourselves from this disease.”
The child’s vaccination status is currently unknown, according to health officials.
How do I know if I have measles?
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. Measles is spread through the air and can remain suspended in the air for up to two hours.
Early symptoms of measles begin eight to12 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes. The characteristic measles rash typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin, usually on the face before spreading down to the rest of the body.
Chief Health Strategist Connie Mendel said Tuesday if you believe you have the measles to call the doctor’s office ahead of time so they can make special arrangements to see you.
Measles vaccine
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.
Two doses of MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC. CDC recently issued a travel advisory to urge all people traveling outside of the U.S. to receive two doses of MMR vaccine if they have never had measles.
Recently, immunization rates among Kentucky’s kindergartners have declined. Results from the most recent school immunizations survey for the 2024-2025 school year indicate that only 86.9% of Kentucky kindergarteners are fully vaccinated against measles, which is lower than the national average of 93%. Two doses of MMR vaccine are required for school attendance in Kentucky.
Kentucky’s first confirmed measles case of 2025 occurred in an adult resident in February. The second case occurred in March in a child who was traveling through the Commonwealth when they sought treatment.
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