LISBON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases in a measles outbreak in northern Portugal has reached 66, the country's Directorate-General of Health (DGS) announced on Thursday.
The majority of the cases are linked to the Santo Antonio Hospital in Porto with two-thirds of the infected said to be health professionals.
Of these cases, 11 have since recovered while 55 remain ill, with a further 37 being investigated.
In 2016, Portugal was declared free of measles by the World Health Organization (WHO), as only 19 cases were recorded between 2006 and 2014, according to the Lusa Portuguese News Agency, almost all of which had been contracted abroad.
However, some 30 cases of measles and the death of a 17-year-old girl were registered in Portugal last year.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through coughs and sneezes, and can cause serious illness, with very young patients particularly vulnerable.
The disease is usually associated with common cold symptoms, such as sore eyes, runny nose, sneeze and cough. These are followed a few days later by a rash breaking out on the skin, beginning at the head and gradually spreading lower.
The DGS said that all its health professionals are vaccinated, meaning that those infected in this outbreak ought not to be at risk.
