Measles cases had an uptick nationwide last year, and there is now a confirmed case in an Osage County resident.
The county’s Health Department coordinated with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to confirm the case. Osage County says the person was actually exposed to measles outside of Kansas. The county and KDHE are notifying people who may have been in contact with the patient, but at this time there is no confirmed spread of the disease. Several people were potentially exposed to measles at a church event at Topeka Baptist Church on May 3, but it has not been confirmed if the Osage County case is connected.
Early symptoms include a fever of at least 101 degrees, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes. A red rash appears on the face within 1-4 days and spreads across the body. Symptoms can appear between 7-21 days of exposure, but the typical timetable is 10-14 days. Measles is highly infectious, so people who have been exposed and are experiencing symptoms are told to isolate from other people nearby except for visits to their health care providers.
