Measles case reported in Kentucky; two dead in Texas outbreak

A case of measles has been confirmed in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Department of Public Health said the person had traveled internationally to an area with an ongoing measles transmission. The person went to a Planet Fitness in Frankfort on Feb. 17. Later they were determined to be infectious. Anyone who was at the gym during that time might have been exposed.

Measles spreads through the air and can cause fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a rash that can spread all over the body.

Measles is a very contagious virus, but can be prevented with the MMR vaccine which is designed to deal with measles, mumps and rubella. 

Meanwhile, an outbreak of measles in Texas has killed two people, US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr, said on Wednesday. One of those victims was an unvaccinated child who died in a Texas hospital after testing positive for measles, according to the state's health department.

They are the first mortalities from measles in the US in nearly a decade. The last US measles death was in 2015, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Tuesday that it was aware of 124 cases diagnosed since the outbreak began in early January, up from 90 cases last Friday. Almost all cases - 101 - were in patients 17 and younger.

The current outbreak is centered in northwestern Texas, with measles also recently found across the state's border in New Mexico, as well as Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York City and Rhode Island, according to the Centers for Disease Control.



(AP Photo Julio Cortez)