Measles Outbreak At Florida Elementary School After CDC Warns Of Nationwide Rise

Multiple cases of the measles virus have been confirmed at a South Florida elementary school, with the outbreak coming weeks after a nationwide alert went out to physicians about an uptick in cases.

A sixth case of the highly contagious virus was confirmed Tuesday evening at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, just west of Fort Lauderdale, a Broward County Public Schools official said. The first case was detected on Thursday.

“As preventative measures, proactive cleanings at the school continue to take place daily. In addition, over the weekend, the District conducted a deep cleaning of the school premises and replaced its air filters,” John J. Sullivan, chief communications and legislative affairs officer for BCPS, which is the second largest school system in Florida, said in a statement.

Manatee Bay has nearly 1,100 students, and 86 of them are not vaccinated against measles, CBS News reported citing the school district.

A public information officer with the Florida Department of Health in Broward County referred HuffPost’s questions to the state’s Office of Communications, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The cases follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late last month urging health care providers across the country to be “on alert” for potential measles cases after 23 cases ― seven of which came from international travel ― were confirmed over a recent two-month period. Most of the cases involved children and adolescents who had not received a measles-containing vaccine, even if age-eligible, the agency said.

“The increased number of measles importations seen in recent weeks is reflective of a rise in global measles cases and a growing global threat from the