A passenger on a cruise ship visiting Alaska last week had the measles, according to health officials at the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, prompting concerns that other cruise passengers as well as air travelers may spread the virus.

The Juneau Empire newspaper reports that a teenager from Japan boarded the Norwegian Jewel

According to Alaska Business Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Anchorage Quarantine Station notified the Alaska Section of Epidemiology on September 11, 2014 of a "suspected measles (rubeola) case associated with the cruise industry."

The press release stated that "an adult crew member had recent contact with a confirmed measles

According to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero a measles outbreak has occurred on the Costa Pacifica cruise ship.

The newspaper says that dozens of cruise passengers were probably infected with the virus that causes measles. The cruise ship called on the port of Civitavecchia.

59 infected crew members were sent ashore for medical treatment.

Costa