WHO: Measles cases up sharply in Europe

BERLIN — The World Health Organization says the number of measles cases in Europe jumped sharply during the first six months of 2018, and at least 37 people have died.

The U.N. agency’s European office said Monday more than 41,000 cases were reported in the region during the first half of the year — more than in all 12-month periods so far this decade.

The previous highest annual total was 23,927 cases in 2017.

The agency said 23,000 cases this year occurred in Ukraine, where an insurgency backed by Russia has been fighting the government for four years.

France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Russia and Serbia also had more than 1,000 measles infections each so far this year.

Measles, among the world’s most contagious diseases, is caused by a virus that’s spread in the air through coughing or sneezing. It can be prevented with a vaccine that’s been in use since the 1960s, but health officials say vaccination rates of at least 95 percent are needed to prevent epidemics.

While most people who get it recover, measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children, according to the WHO.

Italy has introduced a law requiring parents to vaccinate their children against measles and nine other childhood diseases. Romania passed a similar bill, including hefty fines for parents who didn’t vaccinate their children.

The U.N. agency on Monday called for better surveillance of the disease and increased immunization rates to prevent measles from becoming endemic.