GRANT COUNTY, Ky. — The Northern Kentucky Health Department is warning residents of a potential measles exposure in the region.
According to officials, the Kentucky Department for Public Health was notified Wednesday of the possible exposure.
We spoke to Skip Tate with the NKY Health Department Thursday. Tate said the exposure happened when a family visited from out of state. One of the children in the family, who officials said was not vaccinated, went to the doctor and was later diagnosed with measles.
The family stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Dry Ridge Sunday through Tuesday and visited the Ark Encounter in Williamstown Monday, according to officials.
Tate said the department has been trying to get in contact with anyone who may have been exposed. That number is estimated to be between 800 and several thousand people, according to Tate.
He told us measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease, which can be spread if someone with the disease coughs, sighs or exhales. Measles symptoms include fever, coughing, runny nose, runny eyes and rashes.
"The virus has the ability to linger in the air for one to two hours afterwards," Tate said.
The challenge, Tate said, is spreading the word to those who may have been exposed. He told us the Ark Encounter has tight corridors and interactive exhibits.
"The potential for it spreading is pretty great right now," Tate said. "It can really spiral out of control pretty fast."
WATCH: We talked to Tate about how the highly contagious disease can spread so quickly
Tate also told us that because of measles's one to three week incubation period after initial exposure, people may not know they're carrying the disease right away.
He said people should monitor for symptoms and reach out to their doctor if they show any kind of symptoms.
"We want to make sure everyone who visited during that time is aware they may have been exposed to the measles, and they should monitor themselves for symptoms," said NKY Health District Director for Health Jennifer Mooney. "We also want to remind people that measles is preventable through the highly effective MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) vaccine. The vaccine has been administered to millions of people over several decades and has a proven health and safety record.”
The vaccine has a 97% effective rate, according to Tate.
"Measles was eradicated in the U.S. in the year 2000," Tate said. "People just haven't had to worry about it, so they aren't really paying attention to how dangerous it can be and how quickly it can spread."
Sean DeLancey has been following this story for WCPO. You can contact him here:
Tate said 20% of unvaccinated people who catch measles are hospitalized.
Anyone who visited the Williamstown Ark Encounter or Dry Ridge Holiday Inn Express during the mentioned times is recommended to follow these steps:
- Understand you are at risk of infection and check if you've received a measles-containing vaccine (individuals born before 1957 are considered immune).
- Watch for symptoms and continue monitoring yourself for 21 days after exposure.
- Avoid high-risk settings. If you're not immune, consider staying home and avoiding large gatherings.
- Talk to a health care provider.
Tate also asked anyone who visited the Ark Encounter on Dec. 29 or the Holiday Inn Express in Dry Ridge Dec. 28 through Dec. 30 to contact the NKY Health Department.
A spokesperson for the Ark Encounter said they had been notified of the exposure by the NKY Health Department and sent us the following statement:
"For guests who gave us their email address when they purchased tickets for that day, we shared— in an email message coordinated with health officials — that if visitors were fully vaccinated, no action would be needed. For unvaccinated guests in attendance on Monday, the email requested that they promptly contact their personal physician for guidance, indicating that measles can be contagious before symptoms appear. That same information was shared with Ark staff. 775 emails were sent to guest families who visited Monday."
The spokesperson said they had not heard reports of other visitors who contracted measles.
Officials said both health departments are responding to the exposure.
