Measles outbreak linked to Atlanta daycare

Georgia Department of Public Health officials (DPH) have confirmed three additional measles cases associated with multiple measles cases first discovered in August, for a total of eight cases associated with the current outbreak as of Sept. 4.

The outbreak of the viral infection is associated with a “daycare setting in the metro Atlanta area,” according to DPH officials, who did not name the business.

The children who have tested positive for measles were either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated and officials with DPH said they are working to notify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus and are at an increased risk of developing measles.

Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure to the virus, but may range from four to 21 days, according to information from DPH’s website. Symptoms usually start with high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes followed by a rash of tiny red spots breaks out, usually starting at the head and spreading to the rest of the body, the DPH’s website continues.

Anyone who becomes sick or thinks they may have been exposed to measles, according to DPH officials, should do the following:

• Contact your healthcare provider immediately and let them know that you may have been exposed to measles. If you do not have a doctor, please call the DPH Acute Disease Epidemiology Section at 404-657-2588 during business hours, Monday through Friday, or 1-866-782-4584 after hours on evenings and weekends.
• Do not go to the doctor’s office, the hospital, or a public health clinic without first calling to let them know about your possible contact with measles. Your healthcare provider or public health nurse will advise you on what to do.
• Stay at home and avoid contact with other people, especially babies less than one year of age or people with weakened immune systems.

While the DPH’s website states that measles “is very contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes,” the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine can prevent measles. The vaccine is described as safe and effective by multiple medical professionals.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children receive their first dose of MMR vaccine between 12 to 15 months of age and a second dose between 4-6 years old.

“More than 95 percent of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses. A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98 percent,” explained officials.

A post on Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health website states that measles is making a comeback, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. “This year, the United States has already surpassed last year’s measles numbers with 2,295 cases. That’s the highest number in 35 years,” the website states.

“This is concerning because measles is a serious infection and is one of the most contagious diseases we deal with,” said Benjamin Lopman, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Rollins School of Public Health. “We are having these outbreaks because there are unvaccinated pockets of people.”

For more information visit https://dph.georgia.gov/epidemiology/acute-disease-epidemiology/vaccine-preventable-diseases/measles or https://www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html.