( CNN ) Georgia has its first confirmed case of measles since 2012 , the state 's Health Department said Monday . `` The infected infant arrived in Atlanta from outside of the U.S. and is being cared for at Egleston at Children 's Healthcare of Atlanta , '' the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a statement . Health officials are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention `` to identify anyone who may have been exposed to the patient and to prevent further spread of measles , '' the statement said . Measles is a serious and highly contagious respiratory disease that spreads when a person breathes , coughs or sneezes and droplets travel through the air . The disease is especially dangerous for infants , who can not receive vaccines until they are at least 6 months old . Young children are also particularly vulnerable in cases in which they have received only one dose of measles vaccine . Symptoms include fever , cough , runny nose and red eyes , tiny white spots on the inner lining of the cheek and a rash with tiny red spots that starts at the head and spreads . Though there 's no cure for measles , it can be prevented with the MMR vaccine , which is 97 % effective , according to medical professionals . `` Keeping immunization levels high is critical to preventing outbreaks or sustained transmission in Georgia , '' said Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald , commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health . `` More than 98 percent of children heading into kindergarten in our state have received all school required vaccines , which includes two doses of measles vaccine . '' Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 , but a recent outbreak has been traced to Disneyland in California . As of February 6 , there are 121 cases of measles in 17 states and Washington , D.C. , the CDC said . There are 88 cases in California , and 103 cases nationwide are linked to the Disneyland outbreak . The state with the second-highest number of measles cases is Arizona , which has seven , the CDC reports . Illinois has three , and Washington has four . The other places reporting one or more cases are Colorado , Delaware , the District of Columbia , Michigan , Minnesota , Nebraska , Nevada , New Jersey , New York , Oregon , Pennsylvania , South Dakota , Texas and Utah . The Georgia case is unrelated to the recent California outbreak , the Georgia Health Department said Monday . CNN 's Glen Dacy and Jason Hanna contributed to this report .
`` The infected infant arrived in Georgia from outside of the Atlanta , '' the Georgia Department of Health reports . Health officials are seeking possible exposures and aim to prevent the disease 's spread , it says . It 's U.S. 's second confirmed measles case since Monday .