A measles outbreak that began in West Texas and spread to neighboring states continues to grow. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) said today 327 cases have been identified since late January, an increase of 18 cases since late last week.
Only 2 patients in the Texas outbreak were fully vaccinated for measles, while 325 were unvaccinated against the highly contagious virus, or their vaccine status is unknown.
So far 40 people have been hospitalized in the Texas outbreak, and 1 unvaccinated child has died from her infection. Gaines County is the epicenter of the outbreak, with 226 cases reported. Fifteen counties in Texas have reported cases.
Neighboring New Mexico added 1 more measles case to its outbreak total, which now stands at 43.
“Measles is primarily a disease of people who are not immunized, and most residents in the outbreak area are protected from measles disease even if they are exposed to the virus. We expect to continue to identify new measles infections associated with this regional outbreak in New Mexico and Texas,” New Mexico Health said on its website.
We expect to continue to identify new measles infections associated with this regional outbreak in New Mexico and Texas.
New Mexico’s outbreak has been contained in Lea and Eddy counties.
Oklahoma also has 9 measles cases linked to the West Texas outbreak, 7 confirmed and 2 probable.
Cases up 5.5-fold in Americas region
Yesterday the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) posted a rapid risk assessment on measles in the Americas. PAHO said the overall risk in countries with low vaccine coverage is high, and that cases have risen 5.5-fold compared to the same time period in 2024.
From January 1 to March 15 of this year, 507 measles cases were confirmed in the Americas region, compared to 91 cases reported in the same period in 2024.
The four countries reporting the most cases are the United States (301 as of March 15; now 378), Canada (173 cases), Mexico (22), and Argentina (11).
