A Florida university has become a new hotspot in a widening U.S. measles outbreak, with health officials confirming multiple infections and hospitalisations.

At least 12 people have tested positive for measles at Ave Maria University, a private Catholic college near Naples, Florida, and three have been hospitalised, local broadcaster WBBH reported on Tuesday. The first cases were identified on 29 January.

University officials told students that the Florida Department of Health has sent a response team to campus to carry out contact tracing and contain the outbreak. In a letter reviewed by NBC News, Dean of Students Daniel Lendman said health authorities believe the cases “most likely originated with a student’s holiday travel from another state.”

Some students have questioned whether the official figures reflect the full scale of the outbreak.

“I’m sure there’s a lot more,” student Josephine Miller told WBBH. “A lot of my friends have said people have come down with the sickness.”

The Florida cluster comes as measles outbreaks continue to expand nationwide. At least 17 states have reported cases so far this year, including confirmed infections linked to international travel at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a related case at Clemson University, according to state health agencies.

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South Carolina officials reported on Tuesday that 29 new infections had been identified in recent days.

Outbreaks in Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds more, heightening concern among public health authorities over the spread of the highly contagious disease.

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