An outbreak of the measles in California has officially been linked to Disneyland, the California Department of Public Health said on Wednesday.
CDHP said that there are seven confirmed cases of measles in patients from around California. Two Utah residents also have been diagnosed and three other California residents are under investigation after showing measles symptoms.
All 10 people reported that they had gone to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, 2014.
CDHP stressed that people can be infectious with measles for at least nine days. The disease usually starts with fever, coughing, a runny nose and red eyes.
“If you have symptoms, and believe you may have been exposed, please contact your health care provider,” Dr. Ron Chapman, CDPH director and state health officer, said in a statement. “The best way to prevent measles and its spread is to get vaccinated.”
“We are working with the health department to provide any information and assistance we can,” Pamela Hymel, chief medical officer at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, told USA Today.
While measles was ruled eradicated from the U.S. in 2000 thanks to vaccines, but it continues to be a disease faced here. Paul Offit, chief of infectious disease at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told USA Today that the disease has seen a rise in the U.S. recently, as some parents have declined to get their children vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control found that officials have diagnosed 554 cases of measles in 2014, while there were just 55 cases in 2012. The disease is also spread in the Philippines, Vietnam and Pakistan.