COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Metro Atlanta residents are being warned about a confirmed case of measles out of Cobb County that could have spread before it was caught.
On Saturday, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed that they had found a case of the illness in an unvaccinated resident. They believe the person may have exposed others between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6 and they're notifying those who may have been exposed - or be at increased risk of developing the virus.
The Department fo Public Health said measles starts with a fever and progresses to a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. It then escalates to a rash of tiny, red spots that starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.
"Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes," the health department said in a statement, adding that it can stay in the air for up to two hours.
The department said that the condition is so contagious that if one person has measles up to 90 percent of people around him or her will also become infected - presuming they aren't protected.
Measles can be prevented by a vaccine that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for children between 12 and 15 months for their first dose and four to six years for their second. It protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
"More than 95 percent of people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all three viruses," the health department said. "A second dose boosts immunity, typically enhancing protection to 98 percent."
Those with symptoms should contact a doctor immediately and are told not to go to a doctor's office, hospital or public health clinic without first calling in and describing their symptoms. Meanwhile, healthcare providers should contact the public health department immediately if they suspect a patient has measles.
So far, there have been eight confirmed cases of measles in the state for 2019 - four times as many as the highest number in the last decade.
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