Kentucky's measles outbreak is continuing to grow amid one of the worst years for the viral illness in the U.S. this century. The end of October brought the confirmed case count to 200 since the first case was reported in July, according to the state's Department for Public Health dashboard.
That total – which does not include the four cases reported in January of this year – marks it as the worst measles outbreak in the commonwealth since 1991.
Data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services indicates that nearly all of these cases were confirmed in people who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. The most impacted group has been people aged 18 or older (96 cases), with children and teens between ages of 5 and 17 also being heavily impacted (84 cases).
While cases have been confirmed in several communities across Kentucky, around three-quarters of them have been located in just three counties: Christian (66), Laurel (56) and Trigg (32). Cases have also been diagnosed in Bath (15), Caldwell (7), Barren (5), Washington (5), Carroll (5), Jessamine (4), Todd (3), Owen (2), Lewis (2), Allen (1) and Trimble (1).
So far, 13 individuals have reportedly been hospitalized due to the virus. No deaths have been linked to this outbreak.
While the earliest confirmed cases in the state this year were diagnosed in January, this latest outbreak did not begin until July. The numbers have grown steadily since then: reaching 50 by the end of August and nearly tripling in September to 146.
CHFS updated its measles case dashboard to report an additional 54 cases throughout October, marking the case amount – as of Thursday, Nov. 5 – at 204.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is not a currently FDA-approved treatment for measles. The CDC, however, recommends a few things; isolating those that are infected and taking airborne precautions, vitamin A administration to infants and children, antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections and an increased intake of fluids,
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