(WPTV) — You and your family could be at risk of contracting a highly-contagious virus.
The Florida Department of Health is urging residents and tourists to get vaccinated after the first case of measles was confirmed in Florida this year.
FDOH said the measles case was confirmed on April 17 but did not specify what area of the state.
Measles is a preventable virus, but health officials say it is highly contagious.
The virus can be spread through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Symptoms can appear 7 to 14 days after a person has been infected. You might experience a high fever, cough, runny nose and/or a rash.
Those mostly at risk are people who are unvaccinated, people with compromised immune systems and people who travel internationally.
If you think you are sick with measles, health leaders say call your doctor first.
The Centers for Disease Control said from Jan. 1 to April 11, there were 555 individual cases of measles confirmed in 20 states.
