With reports of a global measles outbreak, quarantine authorities have urged the public to pay attention to possible measles symptoms after traveling abroad.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) on Wednesday announced that anyone who develops a fever or rash within three weeks of returning from a country where measles is prevalent, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, China or Cambodia, should wear a mask and visit a nearby medical institution for treatment.

When visiting hospitals, people with symptoms must inform medical personnel of their overseas travel history and receive treatment.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infectious disease that can be transmitted through air, with the main symptoms being fever, rash and grayish-white spots in the mouth.

According to the KDCA, as of May 3, there were 52 measles cases in South Korea, which is one-point-three times the number of cases reported in the same period last year.