PERRY, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Public Health has identified a potential measles exposure at a restaurant in Houston County connected to an ongoing investigation of a measles case in Macon County.
Officials say the infected person had contact with a confirmed measles case in Pennsylvania, where the state reports an ongoing outbreak of the virus with more than 1,100 cases, according to CBS News.
The case, reported Oct. 13, brings the total number of confirmed measles cases in Georgia to 22, more than twice the number reported in 2025.
The Macon County individual is isolating at home and close contacts who are unvaccinated are in quarantine, the Georgia Department of Public Health said.
Health officials determined the infectious individual visited Longhorn Steakhouse, 100 Hampton Court in Perry, Ga., on Oct. 7, 2026, between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The Georgia Department of Public Health released official exposure details Monday to notify the public of the potential risk. “Anyone at the following location during the listed time may have been exposed ... ” a news release states. The department urges anyone present during those hours to check their vaccination status and watch for symptoms.
Measles symptoms generally take one to two weeks to appear following exposure. The Georgia Department of Public Health outlined the progression of the virus. “Measles symptoms typically appear 7–14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by a red rash that begins on the head and spreads to the rest of the body,” the agency said.
Health officials instructed individuals experiencing symptoms to take precautions before seeking treatment to prevent spreading the illness.
“Anyone with measles symptoms should contact their health care provider immediately. DO NOT go to a doctor’s office, hospital, or public health clinic without calling ahead to report your symptoms,” the Georgia Department of Public Health said. State health officials noted that measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, remaining in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person departs.
The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine offers the best protection against infection. Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend two MMR vaccine doses for children, with the first dose administered between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6. Adults born in 1957 or later need at least one dose unless they have documented vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity, or a laboratory-confirmed measles infection.
Individuals without immunity through vaccination or past infection who were at the restaurant during the exposure period are asked to monitor themselves for symptoms through Oct. 28. Health care providers who suspect a patient has measles are instructed to notify public health officials immediately.
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