Measles is spreading across Europe wherever immunization coverage has dropped, the World Health Organization is warning.
The largest outbreaks are being seen in Italy and Romania. In the first month of this year, Italy reported more than 200 cases. Romania has reported more than 3,400 cases and 17 deaths since January 2016.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says that between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 the UK reported 575 cases of measles.
Measles is highly contagious. Travel patterns mean no person or country is beyond its reach, says the WHO. For good protection, it’s recommended that at least 95% of the population is vaccinated against the disease.