NEW YORK (1010 WINS)  -- Two cases of measles in a Brooklyn family has prompted New York City's Health Department to issue a medical alert asking doctors to watch for the viral illness and promptly report suspected cases.

Health officials issued a similar alert last November. 

Measles is spread by coughing and direct contact with the mucus or saliva of an infected person. Measles is usually diagnosed in unvaccinated people who have traveled overseas, or in individuals who live overseas and visit the city.

"We issued a health alert as a precautionary, proactive measure to remind doctors to look out for patients with symptoms consistent with measles," said Dr. Jane Zucker, the Health Department's Assistant Commissioner for Immunization. "Vaccinations are the safest and most effective way to prevent infection."

The measles vaccine is required for admission to the city's schools, colleges and daycare centers. In New York City, 96 percent of children under four years old have received a measles vaccine.

Measles is a viral disease with symptoms including a fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose and conjunctivitis. Health officials say it usually lasts five to six days with a rash that starts on the face and moves down to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. 

The Health Department investigates all cases of measles and said there were 36 suspected cases of measles last year and five were confirmed. The five cases occurred in unvaccinated people who had traveled or lived overseas.

For more information on measles visit the Health Department's website at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/imm/immmea.shtml.