BEIJING - Beijing's disease control and prevention center has reported an outbreak of measles in downtown Beijing.

From Jan 22 to Jan 26, 23 people in an office building in Chaoyangmen, a busy commercial area in Dongcheng District, were found to have contracted measles, according to a statement the center released on Tuesday night.

Medical personnel have quarantined the patients, disinfected the site and vaccinated 3,462 people in the building, said the statement.

The center warned that the outbreak will peak soon. From Jan 1 to Jan 21, the capital city reported 68 measles cases, more than doubling the 28 cases reported in the same period last year.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory system. It spreads easily in crowded and poorly ventilated places.