San Diego County health officials are urging residents to verify their measles vaccination status after an international traveler with the highly contagious disease visited Disneyland on Jan. 28 and Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 26-27.

Measles was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, but cases have surged nationwide — 2,267 last year and 588 so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly all cases occurred in unvaccinated individuals. The disease spreads through airborne droplets that can linger in the air for hours and is fatal in 1 of every 1,000 unvaccinated children.

For Santee families, the proximity of the exposures raises concerns about a potential regional outbreak. The CDC recommends two doses of the MMR vaccine for children, starting at 12-15 months with a second dose at ages 4-6. However, adults born between 1957 and 1968 may have received only one dose or an inactive version of the vaccine and should consider getting a booster or having a blood test to check immunity.

Symptoms include a rash starting at the head, fever, cough, and red, watery eyes. Anyone who develops symptoms should stay home and call their doctor to avoid exposing others. Those exposed to measles who haven't been vaccinated should get the shot immediately, before symptoms appear.

Before the 1963 vaccine rollout, measles caused nearly 50,000 hospitalizations and 500 deaths annually in the U.S., along with more than 1,000 cases of severe brain inflammation each year. The disease can also cause permanent hearing loss and wipe out immunity to other infections. Health officials emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective prevention.