LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The County of Los Angeles in the U.S. state of California has confirmed a seventh case of measles amid an outbreak of the highly contagious virus in the United States, the county's Department of Public Health said recently.

This new case "is linked to the outbreak of four cases reported last month and is not associated with either the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) or California State University Los Angeles (Cal State LA) exposures," the department said Thursday in a press release.

"Currently, there are seven measles cases among Los Angeles County residents in 2019, and five non-resident measles cases that traveled through Los Angeles County," it said.

"Of the seven measles cases among residents, two are not linked and were infected during international travel. The majority of the cases were unvaccinated," it added.

The department will continue to monitor for measles cases and identify others who may have come in contact with persons with measles, it said.

"We will likely see additional measles cases in Los Angeles County, so if you are not already immune to measles, the best way to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of measles is to get the measles immunization, with two doses of measles immunization being about 97% effective at preventing measles," said Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis.

Last week, hundreds of students and employees were quarantined as they may have been exposed to measles at UCLA and the Cal State LA.

As of May 1, 40 confirmed measles cases, including 28 outbreak-associated cases, have been reported in California, according to the state's Department of Public Health.

By April 26, over 700 measles cases have been confirmed in 22 U.S. states this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.