Vancouver Coastal Health says the infected person is a minor and caught the disease locally, whereas the first case was acquired abroad.

VANCOUVER — A second case of measles has been confirmed in Vancouver.

Vancouver Coastal Health says the infected person is a minor and caught the disease locally, whereas the first case was acquired abroad.

The health authority warns in a news release that measles is a highly infectious disease that spreads through the air and close contact is not needed for transmission.

It says the disease can also be spread through sharing food, drinks or cigarettes or kissing an infected person.

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed a few days later by a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the chest.

The authority notes that two doses of measles vaccine are 99 per cent effective at preventing measles, and most cases now occur in those born after 1970 who have had no doses or only one dose of the vaccine.

(The Canadian Press, News 1130)