Healthcare workers have been urged to be on high alert as measles outbreaks are being detected in South Africa.

Three cases were picked up in the Greater Sekhukhune District in Limpopo over September and October.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) detected the cases in two healthcare facilities.

The first appeared on 22 and 25 September, and the third case was on 2 October.

The sick children were aged 11 years, one year and 11 months. The NICD said two of the children had not been vaccinated for measles but they didn't know the vaccination status of the third child.

Measles is a viral infection that's serious for small children but it can be easily prevented by a vaccine.

It is highly infectious. It spreads through airborne respiratory droplets spread by infected persons when they are coughing or sneezing.

Measles can be identified by the respiratory tract symptoms it causes, such as coughing, conjunctivitis, or a stuffy or running nose.

Other symptoms - which appear before the disease's characteristic rash - can include fever, fatigue, and muscle pain.

In May this year, four people from Gauteng tested positive for measles.

Source: Rekord Pretoria