The number of people infected in the Disneyland measles outbreak rose to 26, reports said.
According to Reuters, 22 of the total cases come from the state of California. Almost all of them were exposed to the disease during their visit to the Anaheim theme parks between December 15 and December 20, the report said, citing the California Department of Public Health. One of them contacted the disease from one of the infected persons.
Meanwhile, two cases of measles were also recorded in Utah and one case each in Colorado and Washington. The report added that six of those who got sick have already been hospitalized.
It also noted that at least four more other measles cases are being investigated at the moment. Forbes added that five other cases without direct links to the park are also being probed.
As for updates on the patients, Tech Times reported that the Colorado patient, who is already admitted at the Colorado Springs hospital, is no longer contagious. The same also goes for the Washington patient who was treated in a hospital at Grays Harbor after coming back home.
The report added that of the California victims, one is reported to be in Long Beach while two are in San Bernardino County. It also claimed that less than 20 of the victims who felt ill after visiting Disney were totally fine before entering the said theme park. At least 15 of them were unvaccinated for measles. Disney, however, has promised to continue coordinating with the health department and to provide assistance.
Seattle Times, meanwhile, claimed that one of the California victims has visited Seattle after her Disneyland visit, thus raising the risks of other residents getting it. The news outlet noted a number of locations where the woman went and warned residents who went to the area at that same time that they may have been exposed to the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, measles is one of the most highly contagious diseases and remains as one of the leading causes of death among children globally. It said that at least 145,700 deaths due to the disease were recorded globally in 2013, translating to around 400 deaths every day or 16 deaths every hour.
The disease starts with high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and small white spots in the cheeks. This then will be followed by a rash which typically starts on the face and upper neck and then spreads downward over about three days.
To date, there is still no specific treatment for the virus but people usually recover after several days. The disease, however, could lead to other serious complications like blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia.