South Dakota has its first case of measles since 1997, a Davison County resident under the age of 5. State epidemiologist Dr. Lon Kightlinger says the child had not been vaccinated.

Kightlinger says South Dakota has a good immunization rate, but he says with measles on the rise nationally, those who have not been vaccinated are at risk when they travel to areas with measles cases. He says health officials are working to determine those who may also have been exposed.

The Health Department says measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted by direct contact or airborne by droplet spread.

The disease can cause brain damage in one out of every 1,000 patients, and it's fatal in three cases out of 1,000.

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