ISTANBUL

Measles cases are rising across the United States, with a Florida university emerging as a new hotspot, according to local health officials.

At least 12 people have tested positive at Ave Maria University, a private Catholic college near Naples, Florida, and three have been hospitalized, NBC affiliate WBBH in Fort Myers reported Tuesday. The first cases were identified on Jan. 29.

University officials told students that the Florida Department of Health has dispatched a response team to the campus to conduct 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 question whether the official count accurately reflects the full extent 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 tied to international travel at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a related case at Clemson University in South Carolina, according to state health agencies.

South Carolina officials reported Tuesday that 29 new infections were identified in recent days, while outbreaks in Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds more, heightening concern among public health authorities.