Measles spreading beyond the center of the Utah-Arizona outbreak

The nation's second largest measles outbreak this year is now spreading beyond its epicenter along the Utah-Arizona border.

MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — The nation's second-largest measles outbreak this year is spreading beyond its epicenter along the Utah-Arizona border.

Most of the known measles cases — 123 as of Wednesday — are linked to a tight-knit community of twin towns: Colorado City, in Mohave County, Arizona, and Hildale, which is in Washington County, Utah. Within the past few weeks, there have been three cases in nearby, larger towns, such as Hurricane and St. George, Utah. Those exposures occurred in hospital and urgent care settings, according to the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.

There is no discernible border; residents live, work and worship interchangeably between the two towns.

Many of the clusters started in schools, said David Heaton, public information officer for the health department. "But now we have community spread," he said.

Measles has also reached Iron County, just north of the current outbreak.