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The Tennessee Department of Health on Saturday confirmed a second case of measles in middle Tennessee.
This comes after the Metro Public Health Department issued an alert Friday about the first measles case of the year confirmed in Nashville, adding that the patient was in public during the “infectious period” over Fourth of July weekend.
Officials said both individuals had been exposed to a confirmed measles case outside of the state. Only one of them is known to have been fully vaccinated against the measles, according to TDH. The other patient’s vaccination status is unknown. The individuals in both cases are reportedly recovering at home.
TDH and Nashville-Davidson County Health Department officials are responding to make people in Middle Tennessee aware of possible exposure to measles at the following public locations:
- Monday, June 29:
- Catfeine Cat Cafe at 517 Carson Lane in Murfreesboro between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 30:
- Catfeine Cat Cafe at 517 Carson Lane in Murfreesboro between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 1:
- Waxing the City at 1108 Gallatin Ave in Nashville between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Goodwill at 2101 Gallatin Pike in Madison between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Friday, July 3:
- Swett’s Restaurant at 2725 Clifton Ave in Nashville between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- Publix at 1111 Gallatin Ave in Nashville between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, July 4:
- Dino’s Bar and Grill at 411 Gallatin Ave in Nashville between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- Limo Peruvian Eatery at 1008 Fatherland St. in Nashville between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Paul’s Corner at 824 Porter Road in Nashville between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
If you visited any of the places listed above during those specific times, health care providers urge you to watch for signs of infection. Symptoms can begin up to 21 days after possible exposure and include a rash, fever, coughing, and red eyes. Anyone displaying symptoms or concerned about infection is encouraged to contact their healthcare provider for further guidance.
While the cases have prompted a public health response, experts say there is no evidence so far that the virus has spread beyond the two confirmed infections.
“At this stage we’ve got two cases. There’s no evidence of spread so far,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “The health department is on the job getting to contacts to make sure they’re all protected.”
Schaffner said the cases also serve as a reminder that measles remains one of the most contagious viruses in the world, even though vaccination has made widespread outbreaks uncommon in Tennessee.
“Measles is nasty. We want to prevent absolutely every single case, and vaccination will do that,” Schaffner said.
According to the health department, two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97% to 99% effective at preventing measles. Schaffner called it “a spectacularly successful and safe vaccine.”
“You can’t do better than that with any vaccine,” he added.
For those who were at one of the listed exposure locations, Schaffner said the most important step is to monitor for symptoms and call ahead before seeking medical care if illness develops.
“If you really think you might have measles, call your health care provider in advance,” he said. “What you don’t want to do is go into an emergency room or clinic and potentially spread your infection to others.”
Measles is a highly infectious disease that can easily spread by coughing or sneezing. The MPHD advises anyone who has not yet been vaccinated against measles to speak to their primary care provider.