A measles outbreak in B.C. has spread across the province, with 70 confirmed cases reported in the last month.

The outbreak began with 10 confirmed and four suspected cases in Metro Vancouver at the end of March -- eight of those cases came from a single household of unvaccinated members.

Ritinder Harry, spokeswoman for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, told ctvbc.ca that the outbreak is no longer confined, and doctors across the province are reporting new cases.

"It has spread everywhere," she said.

Most of the cases have been in people who have not been immunized against the virus, or didn't get required follow-up shots.

Infections are popping up in people of all ages, Harry added, but "more than half of the cases are in adults."

This year's outbreak is the largest B.C. has seen in years. The last time that the province had more than 10 measles patients was in 2001, when 23 cases were diagnosed.

In fact, it's not uncommon for a whole year to pass without a single case reported in the province.

Harry said that because of widespread vaccination in B.C. and the rest of Canada, it's rare to find a case of measles originating here.

The centre has identified two separate measles strains in the current outbreak -- one believed to have been brought in by out-of-country visitors during February or early March, the other brought home by a British Columbian man returning from India.

"Just because we don't see these diseases anymore, that doesn't mean they don't exist," Harry said.

"Now it's those people that are unimmunized that are most vulnerable."

She said that some of the new measles patients were never immunized because they -- or their parents -- had "objections" against the vaccine.

One common fear among parents is that the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella causes autism in children.

More information on common fears about the MMR vaccine is available here.

But Harry said there's no evidence that autism is connected to childhood immunization.

"Children with autism are often diagnosed around the same time they get the shots, so people assume it's because of the shot," Harry said.

"If you eat a sandwich and then get hit by a car, it's not the sandwich that caused you to get hit."

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is encouraging people across the province to check their immunization records, and get their shots up to date.

A measles infection begins with a fever, runny nose and cough. Days later, a rash appears around the face, which then spreads to the chest and limbs. The eyes may also be red and sensitive to light.

Measles can also lead to serious health problems. One in every 1,000 infected suffers an inflammation of the brain, which can lead to convulsions, deafness or permanent mental disability. One in every 3,000 cases can result in death.

More information about measles and immunization can be found at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website.