Number of cases in Portuguese measles outbreak rises to 82

LISBON, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases in Portugal's measles outbreak rose to 82 on Friday, the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) announced.

According to the DGS, 71 of the 82 have so far recovered. A further 20 suspected cases have yet to be fully diagnosed, while 197 suspected cases proved to be false alarms.

The majority of cases are linked to the Santo Antonio Hospital in Porto, though there has been one confirmed case in Lisbon.

The outbreak was first detected on March 9. By March 26, it appeared to have run its course, only for a spate of new cases to arise.

Measles is a highly infectious viral sickness. Symptoms include fevers, sore eyes, a runny nose, sneezing and coughing, followed by a skin rash.

Symptoms tend to show 10 to 12 days after a person becomes infected and clear up within 7 to 10 days.

Measles is now rare in most countries due to the effectiveness of vaccination programs. However, this outbreak follows two others in Portugal last year. Some 30 people were infected in total and a girl of 17 died.

The illness is not usually dangerous, but can lead to complications in people who haven't been vaccinated.

Anyone can catch measles, but it is most common in the young. Enditem