French health officials reported an additional 124 measles cases in the past week, bringing the outbreak total for 2018 to 1,999 as of the end of April.
Eighty departments reported at least 1 case with about half the cases reported from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the only region in an epidemic situation.
21% of reported cases were hospitalized for their illness and 88% of measles cases occurred in unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated individuals.
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Measles is a highly contagious and potentially serious viral infection for which there is no cure. It is a disease that affects not only young children but also adolescents and young adults. Measles is caused by a respiratory virus that is transmitted by the projection of salivary or respiratory droplets, especially during coughing and sneezing. The contagiousness of measles cases begins about four days before the rash and lasts up to about four days after the onset of the rash.
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