Georgia health officials confirm 3rd measles case in state
The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed a third case of measles had been detected in the state.
According to the department, the case was in an unvaccinated person traveling with an international group of students.
The patient is not a U.S. resident and is currently in isolation and being treated at a local hospital, according to Ga. DPH.
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Now, the health department is working to identify and contact anyone who might have been exposed to the patient to prevent the potential further spread of measles.
“Measles is very contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The measles virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person is there so you can become infected by simply being in a room where an infected person once was,” DPH said in a statement.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says measles symptoms can appear between one to two weeks after coming into contact with the virus and include a high fever, cough, a runny nose and watery eyes. Patients also present a rash of tiny red spots starting at the head before spreading to the rest of the body.
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The GaDPH encourages measles prevention through MMR vaccination, which covers measles, mumps and rubella.
Anyone with symptoms of measles is asked to contact their healthcare providers immediately, before going to a doctor’s office, hospital or public health clinic.
Health officials say not to go to any of those locations without first calling ahead to inform them of symptoms so the public can be notified in case of a measles risk.
The previous two measles cases reported in Georgia this year were in the same family, according to health officials.
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