Lilongwe, Sep 11 (IANS): Malawian Secretary for Health Samson Mndolo issued a public alert on measles on Tuesday after one of the country's health facilities reported three cases of the viral disease.

Mndolo said in a statement that on August 29, six samples of suspected measles were collected at a health facility in Mangochi, the country's border district with Mozambique. The samples were then sent to a hospital in Lilongwe for laboratory testing.

According to the statement, three of the six samples were confirmed positive for measles on Monday, and the cases range from seven months to seven years old, Xinhua news agency reported.

Advising the public "not to panic as the situation is under control," the health secretary called on the community to take preventive measures against potential infections.

Mndolo has also urged parents to vaccinate their children against the highly contagious virus.

Malawi experienced one of the worst measles outbreaks in history in 2010, with over 134,000 cases and some 300 deaths across the country, according to the American Red Cross.