Estimated 20,000 people possibly exposed to measles at Kentucky religious event

Around 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at a large religious event in Kentucky, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and said.

In a statement to the Guardian, the CDC said it was “aware of a confirmed case of measles in an unvaccinated and contagious individual who attended a large religious gathering in Kentucky on 17 and 18 February.

“Large numbers of people that attended the gathering from across Kentucky and from other states and countries may have been exposed.

“An estimated 20,000 people attended the gathering on the days that the patient attended. The Kentucky department for public health is actively working with CDC and clinicians to help identify if there are additional cases.”

The event was a multi-week religious gathering held by Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. The “revival”, which began on campus on 8 February, saw between 10,000 and 20,000 people descend on the 6,000person town. The event was moved off campus around two weeks later.

On 24 February, Asbury University released a statement saying state officials confirmed a case of measles in a Jessamine county resident. According to the university, the resident was unvaccinated and had attended the revival on 18 February.

The university urged those not fully vaccinated against measles who attended services on 18 February to quarantine according to CDC guidelines. “Attendees who are unvaccinated are encouraged to quarantine for 21 days and to seek immunization with the measles vaccine, which is safe and effective,” said Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky department of public health.

The CDC told the Guardian: “To