Number Of Confirmed Measles Cases In Fiji Reaches 21 - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th December, 2019) The number of confirmed measles cases in Fiji has risen to 21, media reported on Saturday, citing the Health Ministry.

According to the Fiji Village news outlet, the two latest confirmed cases involve a 13-year-old child and a 27-year-old person.

Both persons reportedly had contacts with the people, who have already been hospitalized over confirmed measles.

The Health Ministry said that more than 200,000 people had been vaccinated since the outbreak of the disease had been declared.

The measles outbreak started in New Zealand and Samoa in February, and later spread across Oceania. Fiji has been facing the outbreak of the illness since early November.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is normally transmitted through fluids in the respiratory system. It starts with cold-like symptoms like high fever and runny nose, and gradually develops into a full-body rash, at which point the immune system is already too weakened to fight the infection.