A response team with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reportedly been called to assist with a measles outbreak in Ohio.
According to CBS News, the outbreaks have occurred at several childcare facilities in the Columbus area.
A spokesperson for Columbus Public Health told CNN that more than a dozen cases are currently under investigation.
“We asked the CDC for assistance and they will be sending two epidemiologists at the end of the month to assist with our local investigation,” Kelli Newman, a spokesperson for Columbus Public Health, told CNN.
Measles is a highly contagious disease.
"It is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to him or her will also become infected if they are not protected," the CDC states.
The disease is preventable. The CDC recommends that children get their first dose of the vaccine between 12 and 15 months old. The second dose is given between 4 and 6 years old.
All the cases being investigated in Ohio involve unvaccinated children, Newman told CNN.
Measles starts with a fever and causes a cough, runny nose and red eyes before tiny rashes break out. The CDC notes it can lead to serious complications and even death.