State of emergency declared in US measles outbreak

A state of emergency was declared on Friday in the western US state of Washington following a measles outbreak that has affected more than two dozen people, the majority of them children.

The disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 but has since made a comeback that is tied to imported cases and the rise of the anti-vaccine movement.

“Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease that can be fatal in small children,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement. “The existence of more than 26 confirmed cases in the state of Washington creates an extreme public health risk that may quickly spread to other counties.”

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