The Allegheny County Health Department reported two new cases of measles Wednesday.
The individuals are two unvaccinated adults from the same family in which four members were identified as being sick with the virus May 2.
The health department says there are now seven confirmed cases of measles in Allegheny County, six of which come from a single family. Officials say there have been no additional public exposures due to these new cases.
Measles is highly contagious and can spread through contact with saliva, sneezing or coughing. At first, symptoms can include a fever, sore throat and runny nose before advancing to a red blotchy skin rash and eye inflammation.
The best way to protect yourself from measles is to receive two doses of the vaccine, a regimen that is 97 percent effective. The higher a community’s vaccination rate, the less likely the virus will spread to people who are not immune. Adults who were born before 1957 are considered to be immune.
90.5 WESA's Lucy Perkins contributed to this report.
