Meeting Mickey and Minnie at Disneyland may not be such a happy encounter as the measles outbreak has spread to four states in the United States. The number of confirmed cases has climbed to 26.
On Monday, Jan. 12, the California Department of Public Health reported seven more cases of measles that are tied to Disney theme park visits in California in December 2014.
Health officials said that 22 visitors from California, one from Washington state, one from Colorado, and two from Utah have been affected.
The patient from Colorado has been treated at the Colorado Springs hospital and is not contagious anymore. The patient from Washington was from Grays Harbor and the teenager was not vaccinated. She was treated at the hospital after her return home.
The Seattle Times claimed that a woman from California who was unvaccinated and infected flew to Seattle after her Disneyland visit in mid-December.
Of the new measles cases, three were reported in Southern California: one in Long Beach and two in San Bernardino County. Officials reveal that the infected people may have come into contact with others when contagious.
Most of the patients in question visited either Disney California Adventure or Disneyland anytime between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, 2014. However, some patients affected by measles may have contracted it from other people who visited these places.
Nearly 20 people who entered Disneyland were said to be in good health at the time of arrival but exited the theme park with measles. Of these, 15 people were unvaccinated for measles.
In connection with this measles outbreak, health officials also said that a casino, bank and market are also among public places where people may have been exposed to measles.
Officials from Disney have stated that they are working in tandem with the California Department of Health to look into the matter and provide any assistance. However, the park is yet to reach out to the ailing visitors.
