Health chiefs are investigating an outbreak of measles in the Rugby area with seven people seeking treatment in recent days.

While Warwickshire normally only has about two cases a year, there has been an upsurge in the east of county – not matched in any other part of Warwickshire.

Debra Khan, public health infection control nurse, explained:

“It is quite a nasty viral infection and can lead to other infections. There can be serious complications, and could lead to brain injury.

“It is usually linked to an area where there are local objections to the injections - some people decline the treatment because of fears of side effects.

“It can spread quickly in an area where a large number of people are not immunised.”

She explained that people with worries should see their GPs who are encouraging people to have the vaccination.

Adults have also been hit in the latest outbreak, and they can be seriously affected by measles.

For reasons of patient confidentially, the ages and locations of people affected are not being released.

But the health authority said the seven people affected are from various locations around the borough and not related to each other.

There have been recent outbreaks in Holland, but there is no obvious reason why Rugby should have had such a problem.

Generally children are given injections about the ages of one and four. But anyone can be treated.