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PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Three more South Dakota residents have been diagnosed with measles, increasing the number of cases to nine.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Lon Kightlinger says all cases have been reported in Davison County. The cases involve five adults and four children and their ages range from 19 months old to 41 years old. None of the individuals had previously been vaccinated against the virus.
Kightlinger says officials have confirmed the individuals weren't vaccinated due to personal choice and not because of a religious or medical reason.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause permanent brain damage or even death. It's spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people or, less frequently, by airborne transmission.
These are the first measles cases in the state since 1997.
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