Georgia’s 11-person measles outbreak traced to a single family of five unvaccinated people, officials say
- Since the beginning of October, 11 people in Georgia have developed measles
- State officials announced Wednesday that a family of five, unidentified, unvaccinated people all contracted measles early last month
- Their illnesses had previously been unreported
- By the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s count, there were only 10 total new cases of measles across the US in October
- Georgia’s 11 recent cases are confined to three families of unvaccinated individuals, the health department said
A single, unvaccinated family of five is the likely source of Georgia’s measles outbreak, which sickened 11 in total, officials said Wednesday.
The unidentified family is thought to have traveled to another state where there had been a measles outbreak – and brought the highly-contagious virus back with them.
Another six people outside the family have also recently been sickened in the current outbreak and 18 total have fallen ill in Georgia in 2019, the state’s department of health announced.
Measles has sickened 1,249 people in the US in 2019 – a case count that threatened the nation’s measles elimination status, bestowed upon it by the World Health Organization.
Elimination status is intact, but health officials in Georgia and nationwide continue to urge that vaccinations are are safe and should be given to everyone over six months old as sporadic new cases continue to be reported each week.
A family of five seems to be the root of an 11-person measles outbreak in Georgia, officials there said Wednesday. None of the family or the other two affected families were vaccinated (File)
In Georgia, officials are now confirming an additional two illnesses, among siblings of a child who had already been counted among the infected.
The newly-confirmed kids have reportedly not been to school, so they have not exposed other children.
Meanwhile, middle schoolers who were exposed to classmate with measles are still being kept at home to prevent the spread of the infection any further.
Measles and its symptoms may not be immediately apparent, so the potentially-exposed students were made to stay home for a 21-day incubation period, though the tell-tale splotchy, red rash typically appears within 14 days.
Up to 90 percent of people who come into close contact will catch the virus if they’re not vaccinated against it, making it imperative to isolate those who do or might have measles from those who might not be immune .
That incubation period will end on November 22, at which point the students will be allowed back to school.
None of the 11 people – who are all members of three families in Cobb County – recently sickened in Georgia were vaccinated, the health department reported.
The swift and close-knit outbreak just underscores the importance of getting the shot that protects against measles, mumps and rubella, officials urged.
‘Measles vaccination (MMR) is safe and effective and prevents outbreaks,” said Dr Kathleen Toomey, health department commissioner.
‘The current measles outbreak in Georgia is small compared to other outbreaks documented around the country.
‘However, the toll even a single case of measles takes goes well beyond physical illness – impacting economies, work forces, education, health care systems, and creating a public health burden to protect vulnerable populations.’
Last month, a total of 10 new measles infections were recorded across the US, according to the CDC.
Georgia’s current outbreak of 11 began in early October and it’s unclear if it was included in the CDC’s official count.
State health officials say that none of the family of five are still ill or contagious.