LA-area health officials warn of measles risk at Disneyland

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Visitors to Disneyland in Southern California are being warned about potential measles contamination in the park after someone infected with the virus was there last week, officials said.

Los Angeles County Public Health officials issued the warning Tuesday, saying it's been confirmed that a local resident with the virus visited the Anaheim attraction on Oct. 16 and stayed for most of the day.

The department said it's "looking to identify others" at risk and urged residents to make sure they're immunized.

The health department said there have been 30 confirmed measles cases among Los Angeles County residents and visitors this year.

"For those who are not protected, measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that initially causes fever, cough, red, watery eyes, and, finally, a rash," Los Angeles County Public Health Dr. Muntu Davis said.

"Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know have it. The MMR immunization is a very effective measure to protect yourself and to prevent the unintentional spread of this potentially serious infection to others."

The United States saw a significant measles outbreak nationwide this year, which affected more than 1,200 people -- the most in a quarter-century. The United States narrowly qualified this month to keep its "eliminated" status for the measles, a designation given by the World Health Organization.