2nd measles case confirmed in Louisville weeks after initial case was found

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville officials said Tuesday that a second case of the measles was recently diagnosed in Jefferson County.

Mayor Craig Greenberg and leaders with the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness said the child's case was confirmed Monday and is connected to the first case in Louisville this year. Earlier this month, city officials warned residents who may have visited the Louisville Kroger on Dixie Highway in Pleasure Ridge Park, indicating they may have been exposed to measles. The health department learned the child infected with measles in Louisville visited the Little Clinic inside the Kroger at 4915 Dixie Highway between 9:15 a.m. and noon Wednesday, July 9.

On Tuesday, officials said the second child was a known exposure of that first case. There are no known exposures from the second case.

"This individual has been in quarantine so we don't anticipate any new exposures," Dr. Kris Bryant with the health department said Tuesday.

Bryant said this is the 14th case in Kentucky in 2025, but these Louisville cases aren't connected to larger outbreaks in Fayette and Woodford counties.

"Of the 14 cases of measles this year, 13 have been unimmunized, and the 14th only had a single dose of measles vaccine," Bryant said.

The city's health department has said those who may have been exposed should monitor themselves for any symptoms and provided the following steps those individuals should take, based on their vaccination status:

Two documented, MMR vaccines or known measles immunity: No additional vaccines are needed.
One documented MMR vaccination: Talk to your healthcare provider about a second MMR vaccine.
No prior MMR vaccines: Contact the health department at 502-574-8207 and stay at home through July 30.

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. Symptoms, which can begin presenting within eight to 12 days after exposure, include:

High fever
Cough
Runny nose
Red or watery eyes

The measles rash, health officials said, typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin, often on the face first before spreading down the rest of the body.

If you develop any of these symptoms, you're asked to stay home and contact your health care provider for guidance. Those who are showing symptoms should notify their health care provider's office so they can ensure proper precautions are taken before the infected individual visits to avoid spreading the infection.

The virus is preventable through vaccines and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

"Immunization is the best way to protect yourself against measles," Dr. Kristina Bryant, associate medical director at Louisville's health department, said in a news release. "Individuals who have received two MMR vaccines have strong protection against measles infection."

The health department said two doses of the MMR vaccine provides 97% protection against the virus. According to Norton Healthcare, the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine is recommended for children starting at age 12 to 15 months, and a second dose between ages 4 and 6 years old. Children as young as six months are eligible to receive the vaccine if traveling internationally.

The city's health department offers vaccines for kids and adults at its Immunization Clinic. For information or to schedule an appointment, click here. More information about measles, including symptoms, treatment and more, can be found on the state health department website by clicking here.

Experts at the Louisville health department said people who contract measles are contagious before symptoms begin, and droplets from the virus from coughing and breathing and sneezing can hang in the air for up to two hours.

In early July, Kentucky had its first measles outbreak of 2025, as the U.S. case count sat just short of a 30-year high. There were 1,288 confirmed measles cases this year as of July 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Public health experts said the true figure may be higher.

A recent study found childhood vaccination rates against measles fell after the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 U.S. counties with available data, including in states that are battling outbreaks this year. And CDC data showed that only 92.7% of kindergarteners in the U.S. had the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in the 2023-2024 school year, below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.

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