MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) confirmed a case of measles in Shelby County.
It's the first confirmed case in Shelby County of 2025 and comes less than a week after the Tennessee Department of Health confirmed the state's first confirmed case of measles of the year.
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SCHD said the case of measles in a Shelby County resident is Tennessee's second confirmed case of 2025. The other case was discovered in a Middle Tennessee resident.
The Shelby County resident is recovering at home, according to SCHD, and the health department said that public health officials are working to identify any people who may have been exposed to the virus.
SCHD stressed that measles is a highly infectious respiratory virus that spreads when an infected person coughs, talks, or sneezes. Measles is known for causing a red, spotty rash that starts on the face and spreads downward on the body. Symptoms may include fever, headache, and fatigue, often followed by rash, red eyes, and congestion.
SCHD said local health officials will contact anyone who may have been exposed to the measles virus, but the health department stressed that the risk to the general public is "considered to be low."
"Check with your health care provider to determine your vaccination status. The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine, called MMR vaccine, provides the most effective protection available against measles when two doses are administered to children at the recommended ages of 12 to 15 months, with the second dose given at ages 4 to 6," SCHD Dr. Michelle Taylor said in a news release. "Adults who were not vaccinated as children should get at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. Those at high risk because they work in education or health care should get two doses, 28 days apart. If you are unsure whether you were vaccinated as a child, ask your healthcare provider if you should be vaccinated against measles."
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