TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and local health departments are working together in response to a measles outbreak in southwest Kansas. As of April 16, a total of 37 cases have been reported. KDHE is informing the public of potential measles exposure at the Clarion Inn, 1911 E Kansas Avenue in Garden City April 8, 9 and 10.
The measles virus can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. Because the measles virus is highly contagious, anyone who visited the Clarion Inn in Garden City on any of the dates and times listed above may have been exposed to measles and should take the following steps:
- Understand if you are susceptible to infection. Check if you’ve received a measles-containing vaccine, like the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, have medical documentation of past measles infection, or have laboratory evidence of immunity. People who are not vaccinated and have not previously had measles are especially vulnerable to becoming infected.
- Watch for symptoms. Monitor yourself for 21 days after your exposure. Look out for any symptoms—especially a fever and a new or unexplained skin rash—and contact your healthcare provider or local health department if symptoms develop.
- If you were at the hotel on:April 8, 2025, monitor until the end of Tuesday, April 29.April 9, 2025, monitor until the end of Wednesday, April 30.April 10, 2025, monitor until the end of Thursday, May 1.
- April 8, 2025, monitor until the end of Tuesday, April 29.
- April 9, 2025, monitor until the end of Wednesday, April 30.
- April 10, 2025, monitor until the end of Thursday, May 1.
- Avoid high-risk settings. If you are not immune, consider staying home to prevent the spread of measles. If you cannot remain home, stay away from large gatherings and persons that might be susceptible to measles, including those who are unvaccinated, pregnant women, infants, or people who are immunocompromised. If you need medical care, call your provider ahead of time and let them know you may have been exposed to measles so they can take any necessary steps to protect others from potential measles exposure.
- Talk to a healthcare provider. If you have any questions about your health or your immunity status, contact your healthcare provider. If you are not immune to measles, a healthcare provider can determine whether you need treatment to help prevent or lessen the severity of infection.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus. It spreads easily when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs. People who are not vaccinated or lack immunity are especially at risk of becoming infected. Symptoms of measles typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a skin rash develops and usually starts on the face and spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms and legs.
The best way to prevent measles is to get the MMR vaccine. If you have had measles or have been vaccinated, your risk of contracting the disease is very low. However, a few people (about three out of 100) can still get measles even after two MMR vaccine doses if they are near someone who is sick.
For questions, contact the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline by phone at 877-427-7317 (option 5) or by email at [email protected] .
For more information about measles, how to find your vaccine records, and answers to common questions, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Measles Resource Hub at www.kdhe.ks.gov/measles.