SOFIA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Three new measles cases were confirmed in Bulgaria, bringing the total number to 24 since last Wednesday, the country's Ministry of Health said in a statement on Monday.
The last three cases of the highly contagious disease that spreads through the air were detected in the neighboring towns of Razlog and Dobrinishte, some 170 km south of Sofia, the statement said.
All of them were children, aged one, two and three years respectively, and have had contact with a measles infected person, the statement said.
The three children have not been immunized against the disease, it said.
Vaccination against measles is mandatory in Bulgaria after the age of 13 months, with subsequent reimmunization at 12 years of age.
In 2017 and 2018, Bulgaria confirmed 165 and 13 measles cases respectively as a result of the import of the disease from affected countries.
