In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in northern Portugal, the country’s Directorate-General of Health (DGS) reported Thursday (computer translated) that the outbreak total has risen to 66 confirmed cases and another 32 cases under investigation.
Most of the cases have links to the Santo António Hospital in Porto.
The Deputy Secretary of State for Health, Fernando Araújo said recently (computer translated) that vaccination rates in Portugal are high and in the north (98 percent), where the current outbreak is recorded, and the government does not know a single case of a health professional who has refused vaccination.
Araújo goes on to say that two thirds of the cases of this outbreak are professionals who were fully vaccinated.
Europe measles cases up 400 percent in 2017
Measles is a disease caused by a virus that is spread through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Measles virus is highly contagious and can remain so for up to 2 hours in the air or on surfaces. Symptoms of measles are rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes.
