The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Thursday declared a measles outbreak across the region.

A total of 592 cases and three deaths were recorded across the Bangsamoro region since January.

Lanao del Sur was the hardest-hit province in BARMM, amounting for 37 percent of the region's measles cases.

Two of the fatalities were from Lanao del Sur while the other one was from Sulu.

There were a total of 163 new cases of measles (Tigdas in Filipino) reported between 11 to 24 February, which is three percent higher compared to two weeks prior (159 cases), according to the Department of Health (DoH).

Measles is highly contagious.

It spreads from infected individuals through the air, especially through coughing or sneezing.

It affects all age groups but is more common in children.

Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and a body rash.

There is no specific treatment for the virus that causes measles; however, vaccination protects against it.

The DOH said epidemiologic profile shows that those under five years of age and who are unvaccinated are the most affected.