‘DO NOT WAIT': JoCo says providers should report probable measles cases
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Local health officials are advising healthcare providers to act quickly as new measles cases continue to be reported in Kansas.
The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment shared its latest guidance Friday on Facebook. It is asking local healthcare providers not to wait on test results but to report 'suspect or probable' measles cases to the state.
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'As the measles outbreak in the southwestern United States and Kansas continues to expand, we want to remind healthcare providers, including school nurses, to report a suspect or probable case of measles within four (4) hours to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. DO NOT WAIT FOR TEST RESULTS,' the Johnson County health department said in its post.
Measles symptoms typically include a high fever; cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes; and a rash developing three to five days after the onset of symptoms, according to the Johnson County health department.
As of April 9, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has identified 32 measles cases, all in counties in the southwest part of the state, according to its website:
Kiowa County
Ford County
Gray County
Finney County
Haskell County
Grant County
Stevens County
Morton County
The website showed that 26 of the cases involve children and six are adults.
At least 27 cases involve people who were not vaccinated or have no record of receiving any measles-containing vaccine.
No deaths have been reported in the state, but one person has been hospitalized since the outbreak was declared.
KDHE has been updating the numbers every Wednesday on its dashboard. KDHE added a note to its website that the case counts are provisional and could change as they are being investigated.
The state said the outbreak would be declared over after 42 days — two incubation periods — with no new cases reported.
More information about measles symptoms and prevention is listed on the KDHE website. The KDHE Epidemiology Hotline is also available at 877-427-7317 (option 5).
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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