In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Hennepin County, Minnesota, state health officials report the number of cases have risen to 11, as of Wednesday. The 11 cases have been reported in children ages 1 to 5 and nine of the cases are confirmed to be unvaccinated.
Nine of the confirmed cases are Somali Minnesotan.
This is the most measles reported in Minnesota since 2011 when 26 cases were reported.
The Minnesota Department of Health says information about the source case is still not known and additional cases are expected.
Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes followed by a rash that typically spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
The best way to protect yourself and your children from measles is to make sure everyone has been vaccinated with the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Measles is no longer common in the U.S., but is still common in many other countries and may be brought into the U.S. by unvaccinated travelers.
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