CDC issues 'dire' measles warning as new cases emerge
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A school district in Florida has recorded its sixth case of measles, amid what health officials are calling an outbreak.
Officials at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston confirmed a new measles case on Tuesday, just days after the Florida Department of Health (DOH) said a third grade student at the school was the first to test positive for the infection on Friday.
John Sullivan, chief communications and legislative affairs officer for Broward County Public Schools, said the new case brought the total number of confirmed cases in Broward County Public Schools to six.
"We expect to receive further guidance from the Florida Department of Health tomorrow and will continue to keep the school and its families updated with the latest information," Sullivan told ABC News on Tuesday.
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A sixth case of measles was reported at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, Florida. (Google Maps)
Sullivan did not provide the grade, age, sex or race/ethnicity of the infected students.
"The District is maintaining close coordination with the Health Department to address this ongoing situation," Sullivan continued in his statement.
"Over the weekend, the District took further preventive measures by conducting a deep cleaning of the school premises and replacing its air filters," he added.
Friday’s first reported patient did not have a history of travel, and it is not immediately clear how the infection got to the school, per the DOH.
The measles virus, paramyxoviridae from the Morbillivirus family, remains one of the most infectious diseases and usually spreads in the air. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Sullivan and Broward County Schools but did not immediately receive a response.
Weston is located in Broward County, approximately 20 miles west of Fort Lauderdale.
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Feb. 15, there have been a total of 20 measles cases reported in 11 states: Arizona, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Measles has also made a resurgence across the Atlantic, as U.K. health officials urged millions of parents in January to book their children for missed measles, mumps and rubella shots after they witnessed a sharp increase in the number of measles cases.
There were over 200 confirmed measles cases in England last year, and most cases were in children under 10 years old.
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The cases came as somewhat of a shock as measles was declared eliminated in the U.K. in 2017.
Health experts are warning of a measles outbreak at an elementary school in South Florida. (Google Maps)
According to the World Health Organization and the CDC, measles deaths globally spiked by more than 40% last year.
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Measles remains one of the most infectious diseases and usually spreads in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose and a distinctive rash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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