Kentucky health officials urge caution as Asbury revival attendee tests positive for measles
The Kentucky Department of Health confirmed a case of measles, a contagious respiratory virus, on Friday in a Jessamine County resident who officials say attended the Asbury University revival.
The health department also cautioned that the individual was unvaccinated and that the case was the third identified in Kentucky in the last three months, according to a press release from Brice Mitchell, spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The first case was diagnosed in December 2022 in Christian County and was linked to an outbreak in Ohio that sickened 85 children. Another case was reported in Powell County in January with no known connection to what happened in Ohio.
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What happened at the Asbury revival?
A spiritual revival took place at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, beginning on Feb. 8 and continued for two weeks after it went viral on TikTok. Students extended a regularly scheduled worship service to stay and pray, resulting in nearly 3,000 participants who had spread across the Hughes Auditorium and four other facilities by Feb. 14, according to a report by NBC.
When did the Kentucky revival end?
University President Kevin Brown ended the service for the general public on university grounds on Feb. 20, though he extended services for college and high school students through the week. A subsequent event Saturday at Rupp Arena in Lexington was hosted by Pulse Movement and drew hundreds of people.
What should Absury revival attendees do?
Health Department officials are urging Asbury revival attendees to "to quarantine for 21 days and to seek immunization with the measles vaccine, which is safe and effective" if they were in the crowd on Feb. 18, according to Dr. Steven Stack, department commissioner. Do not arrive at a health facility without advance notice to reduce exposure, he added.
Attendees should seek testing with a medical professional if they experience symptoms of measles, which include signs of a normal respiratory infection like fever, cough, conjunctivitis and a runny nose and followed by a rash three to five days after other symptoms.
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The public health department is collaborating with Asbury University, the Jessamine County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the cases of measles, the release said.
The department is also working to promote the measles vaccine in communities with "low uptake," the release said. Measles vaccinations in Kentucky kindergartners are among the lowest in the nation.
CDC advisory says about 20,000 attended Asbury revival
In a Health Alert Network Health Advisory issued March 3, the CDC said an estimated 20,000 people attended the Asbury revival.
"CDC recommends that clinicians be on alert for cases of measles that meet the case definition," the advisory said.
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Measles case linked to Asbury revival in KY: Officials urge caution
