California Says Number of Measles Cases Rises

By Associated Press 

LOS ANGELES--More measles cases have been found in California, health officials said Friday.

Figures released by the California Department of Public Health showed there are now 91 confirmed cases in the state, up from 79 on Wednesday.

Of those, 58 infections have been linked to visits to Disneyland or contact with a sick person who went there.

At least six other U.S. states--Utah, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Nebraska and Arizona--as well as Mexico also have recorded measles cases connected to Disneyland.

The outbreak, which originated at Disney theme parks last month, is spreading to the broader community.

Measles, which is spread through the air, is highly contagious. Symptoms include fever, runny nose and a blotchy rash.

Most young children are vaccinated against measles. But outbreaks still occur in the U.S., usually when travelers pick up the virus abroad and then spread it among unvaccinated people here.

People at highest risk are those who are unvaccinated, pregnant women, infants under 6 months old and those with weakened immune systems.

Health officials haven't found "patient zero" or the person who triggered the Disneyland-linked outbreak. But they think it is someone who caught the virus outside the country and visited one of the Disney theme parks during the holidays.

Last year, the U.S. saw a record 644 measles infections in 27 states after virtually eliminating the disease in 2000.

There are typically four to 60 cases a year in California.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

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