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Measles domestic transmission was eliminated at the turn of the century, and is now making a bit of a comeback. The news gained national prominence last week when an outbreak was traced back to Disneyland, mainly because people visit the amusement park from all over the world and the alert needed to get out. Since then, we’ve been reminded of how quickly and easily this disease spreads, and under-25’s are getting a glimpse of pre-1970’s childhood. Here’s why:

It is now being reported that visitors contracted measles at the Happiest Place on Earth for only 3 to 5 days up to December 20th. Now, at least 26 patients have been linked to the time and location, and they are in California or back home in Utah, Colorado, and Washington state. The 22 cases in California are spread between Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties.

But that’s only the cases of which we are aware. Officials have tracked down hundreds of individuals who could have come in contact with people who were contagious, and then there are the unknowns who may have had brief contact. In Long Beach, CA, for example, “investigators interviewed the city’s lone measles patient and put out a public alert for unvaccinated people who went to Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Stater Bros. or Total Wellness Club on East Spring Street in the late morning of Jan. 3.”

All of this makes clear that you need to guard against the transmission of germs, especially since the flu is pretty strong this year. There is no need for panic, but you do need to stay safe and healthy. The LA Times article, Disneyland, Holiday Travel a Perfect Mix for Measles’ Spread has more information about locations where contagious people have been, and the history of measles outbreaks.