State health department reports 23 measles cases in Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - March 26 update: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment now reports 23 measles cases in Kansas as a virus that many thought they would never see is spreading. Measles, eradicated about 20 years ago, is back in the Sunflower State.

The cases come from six southwestern Kansas counties: Stevens, Morton, Grant, Haskell, Gray and Kiowa.

The KDHE said the confirmed cases in Kansas have a possible link to the outbreaks in Texas in New Mexico.

Twenty-one of those cases have been reported this month. Women and girls at least 57 percent of the cases -- 4 percent are unknown.

Additionally, 21 cases are reported in children, with only two cases among people older than 17.

While limited to six southwest Kansas counties for now, measles is contagious enough that it could spread across the state quickly.

“We don’t know when measles cases will come to Sedgwick County but we always are prepared,” said Sedgwick County Deputy Health Director Chris Steward. “We’ve been meeting with medical partners around town to make sure that they’re clear on what they need to do, to watch for symptoms, how to report the disease, how to test for measles.”

It’s not too late to get vaccinated, health professionals say. In Wichita, Wesley Children’s Hospital Medical Director Dr. Stephanie Kuhlmann advises that if you’re going to an area with an outbreak, like southwest Kansas, you can vaccinate your children early.

“The way to stop this is to vaccinate if you haven’t. You can vaccinate down to six months of age; you can go ahead and give that first dose early and then give that second dose between 12 to 15 months of age as long as it’s been more than 28 days apart between those two doses,” Dr. Kuhlmann said.

The reappearance and spread of measles in Kansas is a situation that she describes as “frustrating.”

“It’s very frustrating for us in the pediatric community because this was an eradicated disease and now we’re seeing outbreaks of it when it’s a very preventable illness with vaccination,” Dr. Kuhlmann said.

Friday update: Another four measles cases were reported in southwest Kansas on Friday, according to KDHE.

This brings the total number of cases to 10.

KDHE said this is officially considered an outbreak.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) confirmed on Thursday that there are now six cases of measles in the southwestern part of the state. The first case was reported last Thursday.

The KDHE said the affected counties are Grant and Stevens. No patients have been hospitalized at this time, and all six cases involve unvaccinated individuals. This marks the first measles outbreak in Kansas since 2018.

According to the KDHE, early symptoms of measles include a fever exceeding 101 degrees Fahrenheit, along with a runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. Typically, one to four days after these initial symptoms, a red rash appears on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body. Measles symptoms usually develop 10 to 14 days after exposure, but they can appear as early as seven days and as late as 21 days after exposure.

Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus that spreads through the air via breathing, coughing, or sneezing. It can be transmitted from an infected person to others for four days before and four days after the rash appears.

Local health departments are notifying individuals who may have been exposed to the measles cases in Grant and Stevens counties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the best way to prevent measles is by getting the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.