Health officials in Thailand report a worsening of the measles outbreak in Yala as the case count is now up to 859, including 10 deaths since Sept. 1.

This up from 341 cases and 5 deaths a couple of weeks ago.

Most of the cases were seen in nine-month-old to five-year-old kids who had never been vaccinated before.

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The growing outbreak has reportedly stemmed from some parents in communities still not wanting to get their kids vaccinated despite officials’ attempts to spread good understanding and the previously issued statements from the Sheikhul Islam Office and Provincial Islamic Committees saying that such treatment is acceptable under Islamic principles, according to The Nation.

This was a patient who presented with Koplik’s spots on palate due to pre-eruptive measles on day 3 of the illness./CDC
This was a patient who presented with Koplik’s spots on palate due to pre-eruptive measles on day 3 of the illness./CDC

Measles is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. 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. It generally takes 8 to 12 days, but can be as long as 21 days, from exposure to the first symptom, usually fever. The measles rash usually appears two to three days after the fever begins. Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily by coughing, sneezing or even being in the same room with someone who has measles. People with measles are contagious from four days before to four days after rash onset.

How contagious is measles? Answer: Very

Since the beginning of the year, Thailand has reported 2,998 measles cases in 72 provinces.