It was the first locally acquired case of the measles in two years. Soon afterwards, three people in Indian River county were diagnosed but it was soon discovered that one of the individuals probably caught the disease while travelling abroad.
Measles is spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing and is highly contagious. It can be transmitted from four days before the rash becomes visible to four days after the rash appears. A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and sore throat. The symptoms generally begin approximately seven to 14 days after a person is exposed.