Seventeen die in measles outbreak in Romania
Seventeen people have died from measles in Romania in an outbreak affecting thousands, the country's health minister said on Friday.
Florian Bodog said that around 3,400 people had contracted the disease since September 2016.
He said the virus was similar to strains found in Hungary or Italy, but could not confirm if it was the same one.
Romania has lowered the age for administering the first vaccine dose from the usual 12 months to nine months, recommending all children under nine are vaccinated.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned this week that "the likelihood of exportation of measles (from Romania) cases is high".
Most cases have been registered in the west and south-west of Romania.
In neighbouring Hungary there are 31 suspected cases of measles, said Beatrix Oroszi, head of the National Centre for Epidemiology.
