Kansas Department of Health and Environment recently announced that there have been 10 juveniles under the age of 18, who have now tested positive for measles.
Of the 10, three "resolved" cases have been identified in Grant County.
A spokesperson for Grant County Health Department stated on their Facebook page that they "want to keep our community informed."
"Three cases of measles have beeen confirmed in Grant County, linked to a previous case identified in Stevens County last week," the post states.
Along with Grant County County, there have been cases reported in Stevens and Morton counties. The county trio makes up the far southwest corner of the state and borders Oklahoma and Colorado.
Data, released from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment stated that three of the juveniles are between the ages of 5 and 10, one juvenile under 4-years-old, one juvenile between the ages of 11 and 13 and another juvenile between the ages of 14-17 were the ones who all tested positive for the virus.
At least six of the cases involved unvaccinated individuals and no hospitalizations were reported for those six, according to a recent release from the KDHE. No information about the other four cases was available as of press time.
The first case reported was a patient in Stevens County. According to KDHE, it was the state of Kansas' first case of measles since 2018.
“KDHE, along with the Stevens County Health Department, are notifying individuals who may have been exposed to (the first patient's) case of measles,” KDHE said in a recent release about the case.
Grant County Health Department said "while measles is highly contagious, vaccination remains the best protection against illness and spread."
"If you or your family are unsure of your vaccination status, now is a great time to check," the Grant County Health Department spokesperson stated. "Confirm that you and your family members have two doses of measles vaccine; MMR is routinely given at 12-15 months and again at 4-years-old."
Grant County Health Department Director Denise James said those who have had even one round of the vaccine should be 93 percent protected and those who have had both should be 97 percent protected."
According to Grant County Health Department, measles can linger in the air for up to two hours, so if you believe you've been exposed or have symptoms - call your healthcare provider.
Symptoms include fever, cough, and a rash.
Those who have developed symptoms should isolate immediately by staying home.
"Do not go to school or work," according to Grant County Health Department. "Avoid contact with others, (as) you can be contagious four days prior to a rash developing through four days after a rash appears."
Thos who believe they may have the measles should also call before going to a clinic or hospital, so the healthcare facility can "prepare for your arrival to prevent the virus from spreading to others. Let's work together to keep our community safe and healthy!"
More information about measles, which is a highly infectious disease, is available on KDHE’s website.
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