The Georgia Department of Health (DPH) confirmed that a new case of measles has been detected in an unvaccinated Greater Atlanta resident, the fourth documented case of the virus this year in the state.
The department confirmed in a Monday press release that the resident caught the virus while traveling internationally. According to the DPH, while the disease is no longer common in the United States, it is widespread in many parts of the world, including Europe, Africa and Asia.
Officials are searching for anyone who may have been exposed through contact with the individual from May 10-18 to check for potential illness.
Measles is classified as a contagious disease that spreads through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. The virus stays in the air or on surfaces of a room for up to two hours and can infect others anywhere from 7 to 14 days after contact.
Common symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Then, a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out, starting at the head and spreading to the rest of the body.
The department encourages residents to get the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine to prevent measles and rubella. More than 95% of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses, with a second dose boosting immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98%, according to the department.
Children should receive their first dose of MMR vaccine between 12-15 months of age and a second dose between 4-6 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Measles cases have been relatively rare in Georgia in the past five years, according to the DPH. Eighteen cases were documented in 2019, followed by one in 2020 and none for the next three years. That jumped to six cases in 2024.
DPH encourages residents with measles symptoms to contact their health care providers immediately. They are also discouraged from entering a doctor’s office, hospital, or public health clinic without calling beforehand.
Health care providers who suspect measles in a patient are expected to report their suspicions to public health.
