Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. This story has been updated to include information from an email message from Barren River District Health Department at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday night.

A WKU student has tested positive for measles, the university announced in an email to students, faculty and staff on Tuesday afternoon.

“We have been informed that a student has tested positive for measles,” the email stated. “The university is collaborating with public health officials to identify and notify individuals during the next 24 hours who may have been in close contact with the students.”

According to the email, the student has not been on campus since August 30. There is no immediate risk to the campus community, the university said.

In an email sent to WKU students, faculty and staff Tuesday night, the Barren River District Health Department provided an update, which included a list of locations, days and times where individuals could have been exposed to the measles virus on campus. The locations include:

• The Commons at Helm Library
  • Aug. 28 from 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
  • Aug. 29 from 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
  • Aug. 30 from 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
• Starbucks in Downing Student Union on Aug. 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Papa John’s in Downing Student Union on Aug. 28 from 1:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
• Einstein Bagels in Jody Richards Hall on Aug. 29 from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

“If you are unvaccinated and were potentially exposed at any of the locations described above, you should isolate yourself from others for 21 days after your exposure,” the email stated.

The Barren River District Health Department will contact those exposed to the individual in other locations such as classrooms or offices, according to the email.

David Oliver, WKU director of environmental health and safety and emergency manager, said that the university was first notified that there was a potential case of measles late Monday by state and local health officials. In cases like these, the university activates its communicable disease protocol, which is part of its Emergency Operations Plan. The plan, however, is driven “exclusively by public health,” Oliver said.

“Public health has the lead, the university really doesn’t,” Oliver said. “We support public health.”

When the university was first notified, public health officials were in the early stages of gathering information, Oliver said. WKU provided officials with the identity of the student, as well as contact information for the person involved and potential contacts.

According to Oliver, the individual resides outside of Kentucky.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages individuals to get vaccinated, as the disease can be contagious. Symptoms can begin as late as 14 days after infection. The CDC also states that 90.8% of individuals are vaccinated by the age of 24 months. That number increases to 91.9% of adolescents aged 13 to 17.

“The positive is that most people are vaccinated,” Oliver said. “They get vaccinated as infants or in early childhood.”

Oliver said that while public health officials are taking every precaution necessary, they are not anticipating a public health emergency on the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s not going to be any widespread masking or anything of that nature with this. It’s a totally different approach, but we will follow (public health officials’) direction.”

Oliver said individuals should continue going about their day-to-day business. He encouraged individuals to verify their vaccination status and be aware of the disease.

“I encourage people to get vaccinated, understand the potential symptoms and, if they feel like they have those symptoms, they should immediately go to their healthcare provider or a local clinic to get examined,” Oliver said.

Oliver also said anyone contacted by public health officials should cooperate.

“It’s something we’re taking very seriously,” Oliver said. “We’re working with public health, we’ll follow their direction with anything they ask us to do.”

Editor-in-Chief Price Wilborn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @pricewilborn.