4 new cases of measles confirmed after outbreak linked to metro Atlanta daycare, health officials say
Four new measles cases have been reported as part of an outbreak connected with a metro Atlanta daycare, Georgia health officials say.
The Georgia Department of Public Health says the cases were close contacts with a measles case that had been confirmed on Aug. 18 in metro Atlanta.
While details about the outbreak remain limited, officials say it is "associated with a daycare setting in the metro Atlanta area" and that the children involved were either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
Health officials are now working to identify other close contacts of the new cases.
With the most recent news, the number of reported cases of measles in Georgia this year has increased to 11. There were 10 confirmed measles cases in the state in 2025. The current number of cases in 2026 has now reached the second-highest number in the last 10 years, behind the 18 cases reported in 2019.
Data from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 2,700 cases of measles have been reported this year, making it the highest number in recent history and putting the country at risk of losing its official measles elimination status.
Earlier this week, Pennsylvania's health department announced that two unvaccinated people had died from the virus, the first known deaths connected to measles in the state in decades.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
The virus is highly contagious, spreads through the air, and can stay on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has been in a room.
If you become sick or believe you have been exposed to measles, speak with your healthcare provider immediately but do not go to the doctor's office without first letting them know about your symptoms. You can also call the Georgia Department of Public Health's 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.
