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Third Utah Measles Case Confirmed

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Health officials in Utah County confirmed a third measles case in Utah over the weekend. They say the case, which was detected in a person under the age of 18 who was not vaccinated, was contracted from a person who had visited Disneyland in December. Forty-eight cases of measles have been linked to the Disneyland outbreak. According to the California Department of Public Health, 41 of the cases occurred in California residents, while the other seven were in people visiting from other states and Mexico.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne viral disease that begins with a fever, followed by a distinctive rash and cough. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who have contracted measles can be contagious from about four days before the rash appears to four days after.

The number of cases of measles in the United States has grown rapidly over the past few years, due largely in part to parents opting out of vaccinating their children against the virus. Figures from the CDC show the number of cases more than tripled between 2013 and 2014, from less than 200 incidents to 644. Measles has been detected in 27 states.