( CNN ) California has reported more measles cases . The number of cases has increased to 73 , with 50 of those cases linked to an outbreak at Disneyland , the California Department of Public Health reported Monday . Last week , public health officials reported 59 cases since December ; 42 with a Disney connection . In addition , 13 cases linked to the outbreak have been reported in six other U.S. states : five in Arizona , three in Utah , two in Washington , and one each in Nebraska , Oregon and Colorado . Also , one case linked to it has been reported in Mexico . The disease outbreak apparently surfaced when visitors reported coming down with measles after visiting the park from December 15 to December 20 . At least five Disney employees have been diagnosed with measles , Disney said . Measles is a highly communicable respiratory disease caused by a virus and spread through the air , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Measles starts with a fever , runny nose , cough , red eyes and sore throat , the CDC said . Dr. Gil Chavez , deputy director of the state 's Center for Infectious Diseases , recommended that children under 12 months and people who 've never had a measles vaccination stay away from the park while the disease event continues . He made the same recommendation for other places where large numbers of people congregate , such as airports and shopping malls . However , Chavez said Disneyland would be `` perfectly safe '' if you 've been immunized . Opinion : Heed the lesson from Disneyland measles outbreak . When asked for a comment , Suzi Brown of Disney media relations said , `` We agree with Dr. Chavez 's comments that it is safe to visit Disneyland if you have been vaccinated . '' For the most part , measles spreads among those who have not been vaccinated against the virus . The California Department of Public Health said Orange County had the most measles cases , with 23 , followed by San Diego County , with 13 . 5 things to know about measles .
The number of measles cases in California has grown to 73 , Health Department says . 50 of those cases have been linked to Disneyland , it says .