(CNN) An outbreak of measles is spreading across Italy, with more than 1,600 cases of the disease reported in 2017, across 19 of the country's 21 regions. The number of cases seen so far this year is already higher than the total number of cases seen during all of 2016, according to the European Centers for Disease Control. The outbreak adds to concern among European health officials who have been monitoring an ongoing outbreak in Romania, where almost 4,800 cases have been reported since the start of 2016. The country has also seen 21 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.More than 1,600 measles cases have been reported in Italy this yearMany industrialized countries are experiencing outbreaks this yearExperts blame a decrease in public confidence in vaccines, fueled by influential leaders
Recommendations for travel to _ have been in place since 2016.