AKIPRESS.COM - California health officials report nearly 60 cases of measles since an outbreak started at Disneyland in December.

Patients range from 7 months to 70 years.

Authorities said six children connected to the Disneyland outbreak were too young, under 12 months of age, to get vaccinated.

"Of the confirmed cases, 42 have been linked to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California," the health department said. Five of the cases involved Disney employees.

"Initial exposures occurred in December, but additional confirmed cases visited Disney parks while infectious in January," the department added on its website.

Measles is highly contagious and can be spread through the air without physical contact. Symptoms begin with a cough, runny nose, red watery eyes and a pink rash all over the body.

The health department said the spate of cases underscored the need for vaccinations against the illness. Twenty-eight cases from 34 for which data was available involved individuals who had not been vaccinated.

Measles has been officially eradicated from the United States since 2000 while remaining widespread in other regions including Europe, Africa and Asia.

Eradication means the disease is no longer native to the United States.

But there were 644 measles cases in the US last year, an enormous jump from 173 cases in 2013.