JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The number of measles cases in Israel has risen by an annual rate of 1,782 percent since the beginning of the year, from 34 cases in 2017 to 480 in Jan.-Sept. 2018, according to figures published Wednesday by the state's Ministry of Health.
The outbreak began in March, when eight cases were recorded. In April and May more than 30 measles cases were recorded each month, and in June and July the number of patients reached 75 each.
In August and September, the year's highest number of patients was recorded with 127 for each month.
The Israeli Ministry of Health attributes the outbreak of measles in the country to the exposure of an unvaccinated population to infected people who came from Europe.
Measles is considered the most contagious disease. The chance that a person not immunized exposed to a patient is as high as 90 percent.
The measles virus, paramyxovirus, causes patients rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation and fever.
The disease can cause, in later stage, ear infections, diarrhea, inflammation of the cornea, pneumonia, and rare complications such as brain inflammation, nervous system damage and even death.
The risk of complications of the disease is higher among children under the age of five.
Between January and August 2018, more than 42,000 children were infected throughout Europe, and 14 of them died from complications.
