VIENNA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt have taken the drastic measure of suspending all bus services over fears of a potential measles outbreak, local media reported on Wednesday.
The decision was made by both the state of Carinthia of which Klagenfurt is capital, and the city's public health department, after a bus driver had come down with a measles infection.
The individual had been confirmed as having driven a bus two days prior to his positive measles diagnosis on April 3, meaning other people likely became infected by the highly contagious illness, the Krone newspaper reported.
Two other individuals are now also suspected of having measles.
As a result, bus drivers in the city are now undergoing health and immunization checks, and all buses have been disinfected.
City authorities said they are planning to run a limited bus service later in the day, and will resume full services once the risk of contagion is no longer present.
Measles is an airborne disease spreading through coughs and sneezes, and about nine in 10 people who come in contact with the virus will catch it if they are not protected,
There is no specific treatment for the virus, which can be deadly in some cases, and the best way to prevent it is receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
