Ga. measles outbreak grows to 3 more cases

OGLETHORPE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - State health officials have confirmed three new measles cases in Macon County, pushing Georgia’s 2026 total to at least 25 cases — more than double the 10 cases reported in all of 2025.

All three patients were unvaccinated and had close contact with a measles case confirmed on Oct. 12.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has notified others who may have been exposed and are at increased risk of developing measles.

The original Macon County patient had contact with a confirmed measles case from Pennsylvania, where an ongoing outbreak has surpassed 1,100 cases.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Health officials say the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is considered the best protection.

Measles symptoms usually appear 7–14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days. They include a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by a red rash that starts on the head and spreads to the rest of the body.

Anyone with possible measles symptoms should contact their healthcare provider right away — but they should not go to a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic without calling first to report their symptoms, to avoid exposing others.