One more person has tested positive for measles, revealed authorities.

With the emergence of this case, the total of measles-stricken individuals has risen to seven.

This was revealed during the 23 tests carried out on Monday, revealed the Ministry of Health.

One more test sample has been sent for further tests, statistics reveal, with a total of 113 individuals having been tested for the infectious virus thus far.

Statistics of the ministry furthers state that a total of 173 doses of vaccination were administered within the past 24 hours and a total of 4,025 individuals have acquired doses thus far.

As part of the ministry’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus, an awareness campaign was launched on 18 January in outlying atolls.

The infectious virus is notably catching the air, with the ministry having begun clinical services in facilities for those who have not gotten the required two doses to acquire vaccination and have been pushing the people who have not gotten their required two doses of MR and MMR vaccinations, to get them at the earliest.

Further, the ministry revealed that their measles vaccination campaign will begin within the next week or so and that they expect to receive 200,000 doses by the end of January.

The government of India donated 30,000 vaccination doses for Measles and Rubella to the people of Maldives on 23 January.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) publicly declared the elimination of measles from Maldives during June 2017, the disease resurfaced in the Maldives in early January. The ministry made the reveal on 8 January after a three-year-old tested positive.

Children under six months of age, pregnant women and those with impaired immune system have a high risk of catching the infection, which can cause complications especially in children under five years of age. Some of the complications include pneumonia, croup, acute brain inflammation, inflammation of the middle ear as well as eye ulcers.

While measles is one of the most communicable diseases in the world owing to the fact that it can spread via air, symptoms include fever over 40 degrees Celcius, small white bumps inside the mouth, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis), dry coughs and flat, red-colored bumps.

Maldives began vaccination services in 1976, having introduced vaccines for measles during 1983.