NATIONWIDE — A measles outbreak more than 3,000 miles away may have started by an infected person from Florida.
- 4 Florida measles cases due to people not being vaccinated
- In Washington, 25 cases affected children 10 years old, younger
According to reports from KATU News, health officials are looking into a possible source in Florida or New York.
New York State has been experiencing an outbreak, where just recently two elementary school students tested positive for measles, reported Spectrum News.
According to Florida's Department of Health, there have been 15 cases of measles in 2018, with four cases reported in December. Those four cases were from Sarasota County.
The department stated that while measles are rare in the Sunshine State due to high vaccination rates, it does happen and usually that is linked to people who travel internationally.
However, the four December cases were not connected to international travel but because the four people were not vaccinated.
New York and Florida are not the only states dealing with an outbreak of measles.
On January 25, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency due to the rising cases and the number of public places infected individuals traveled to within the state.
So far, health officials have confirmed 35 cases of measles and another 11 individuals are suspected to have contracted the virus since the beginning of this year in Clark County in Washington State.
Of the 35 confirmed cases in Washington, 25 cases affect children 10 years old and younger.
Another important factor is that of the 35 measles cases in Vancouver, 31 happened to individuals who were not vaccinated.
Measles symptoms begin with a mild fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash.