A test shows that a Forsyth County third-grader suspected of having measles probably does not have the childhood disease.
Jennifer Carracciolo, a spokeswoman for Forsyth County Schools said a student at Sharon Elementary school was thought to have measles and the system notified the parents of 1,063 students.
But a measles test carried out by the Georgia Public Health Lab came back negative. The test done at the Public Health lab is considered one of the most definitive tests for measles. It is highly unlikely that this individual has measles, but out of an abundance of caution, the specimens have now been sent to the CDC for further testing.
If confirmed, it will be the second case of measles recorded in Georgia this year. In February, an infected infant, who arrived in Atlanta from outside the United States, was treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Before that, Georgia had not had a confirmed case since 2012.
Schools require children to be vaccinated against measles, but parents can get a waiver for medical or religious reasons. A physician reported the Forsyth case to health officials, who notified the school.
“We are telling parents if they have concerns, they need to take their child to their family physician,” Carracciolo said.
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