Six people have been diagnosed with measles in an outbreak linked to an elementary school in South Florida.
The outbreak at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Broward County was first reported on Friday with the initial patient being a third-grade student without a history of travel, according to the Florida Department of Health.
On Tuesday, Broward County Public School officials were notified of an additional confirmed measles case at the elementary school, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to six.
The district said it was waiting on further guidance from the Florida Department of Health on how to proceed.
Measles is among the most infectious diseases and spreads in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and a distinctive rash. It is most common in children under 5.
Symptoms of measles generally begin approximately eight to 14 days after exposure but can range up to 21 days. Transmission is possible four days before the rash becomes visible and four days after the rash appears.
Infection can lead to permanent physical damage such as deafness. Most deaths are due to complications like encephalitis, severe dehydration, serious breathing problems and pneumonia.
The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in November that measles deaths globally spiked by more than 40% last year, and cases rose after vaccination levels dramatically dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January, the CDC sent a warning to healthcare providers to be on the lookout for measles after being notified of 23 cases in the U.S., saying, "The increased number of measles importations seen in recent weeks is reflective of a rise in global measles cases and a growing global threat from the disease."
All states require children to have certain routine vaccines to go to public school to prevent outbreaks of once-common childhood diseases like measles. All states provide exemptions for children who have a medical reason for avoiding the shots, and most also offer waivers for religious beliefs.
Whether or not those infected in the outbreak were vaccinated has not been released.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Feb. 15, a total of 20 measles cases have been reported in 11 states: Arizona, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.