The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert after a confirmed case of measles was found after a person attended the Asbury revival meeting in Kentucky last month.
The agency reported that the incident occurred with a person who attended Feb. 17-18 among the several thousand who were present at the ongoing event.
CDC issues measles alert after confirmed case at Asbury revival in Kentucky https://t.co/puUhmqCvGB pic.twitter.com/YHcpVCStsO
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"Measles is extremely contagious and can cause life-threatening illness," the CDC wrote in its advisory.
"Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk. An unvaccinated person can get measles when traveling abroad or in the U.S.," it added.
CDC issues Health Alert Network (HAN) health advisory about measles exposure at a large gathering in Kentucky. Clinicians: Be on alert for cases of measles that meet the case definition & recommend MMR vaccine for unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated patients https://t.co/lNXknebRai pic.twitter.com/0UiOmlu0jz
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 3, 2023
An estimated 20,000 people attended the gathering from Kentucky, other U.S. states, and other countries during February 17–18, and an undetermined number of these people may have been exposed, according to the CDC.
"This Health Advisory also highlights other recent large global measles outbreaks and associated U.S. importations, and the importance of early recognition, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment," its statement noted.
The CDC recommended that anyone who attended the Asbury revival gathering during the specified dates who has not been vaccinated for measles should quarantine for 21 days.
Measles is highly contagious, though most Americans are vaccinated for the illness in early childhood.
Kentucky reportedly has one of the lowest measles vaccination rates in the nation, however, and many people traveled to the Asbury meetings from other nations.
The report is a reminder of the concern measles can still pose, while some view the CDC's report with skepticism after controversies of its efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
