INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO): As the national measles outbreak that began in a California amusement park in December 2014 continues to spread, Indiana State health officials have been taking steps to prepare for a case here in Indiana.

According to a press release issued by the Indiana State Department of Health, containing measles is nothing new for health officials in the Hoosier state. Since 2005, Indiana has experienced 67 cases of measles, including an outbreak in 2012.

“We’ve been lucky that in recent years we haven’t lost any lives due to measles, but I’m afraid that might not always be the case,” said State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H. “With measles once again posing a serious threat, we are working to inform health care providers about signs and symptoms and continue to encourage all Hoosiers to check your vaccination status and get the appropriate doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine if you haven’t already done so.”

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It is rare in the United States due to high vaccination rates with the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine; however, visitors from other countries or unvaccinated U.S. citizens traveling abroad can become infected outside the United States and bring measles back with them.