YANGON, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The increasing measles outbreak has infected about 1,300 people with one death across Myanmar as of mid-February this year, an official from the Public Health Department told Xinhua on Wednesday.

In early February, a child under 5 years old died of encephalitis, a complication caused by the measles in Mandalay region.

Yangon region accounted for about 50 percent of nationwide cases due to the lack of full immunization coverage in some townships, said Dr. Aung Naing Oo, assistant director of the Central Extended Immunization Division under the Public Health Department.

The outbreak mainly occurs in townships -- Hlaingthayar, Shwepyithar, Dagon Seikkan and South Dagon in Yangon.

The Ministry of Health and Sports is conducting measles vaccination drive for children aged between 19 months and 15 years.

About 1,276 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles, fatal infectious disease caused by the measles virus were reported in Myanmar in the whole 2018.

It is an airborne disease which spreads easily through cough and sneeze of infected people.