As the measles outbreak continues in West Texas and two neighboring states, The Dallas Morning News will keep this page updated every Friday with information on confirmed cases.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Tuesday that there have been 744 confirmed cases since the outbreak began in January. The state estimates fewer than 10 of those people are currently infectious.
One measles case in Collin County and one in Rockwall County have been included in the outbreak case counts.
The state has counted 10 other measles cases in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as part of 33 cumulative cases not associated with the outbreak.
On Thursday, Dallas County health officials announced its first measles case since the outbreak began, but it is not included in the most recent state counts because the state publishes those counts on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Dallas County woman is in her mid-20s and is fully vaccinated. She is no longer contagious, and health officials are investigating the origin of her infection.
How many people have gotten measles during this outbreak? How many have died?
Of the 744 cases, 94 people — or 12.8% — have been hospitalized since the start of the outbreak.
One child died in February. That was the first measles death reported in the U.S. in a decade.
On April 6, it was reported that a second child had died from measles in the outbreak.
Both children were unvaccinated and did not have underlying health conditions.
Here’s a breakdown by ages and vaccination statuses of Texans who have been infected as part of this outbreak.
Measles is considered one of the most contagious viruses in the world. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or even breathes. Particles can linger in a room up to two hours after an infected person has gone.
One infected person can spread measles to between 12 and 18 unvaccinated people. It’s more transmissible than influenza and COVID-19.
Where is the measles outbreak happening?
The state has identified four counties with active spread of the illness: Dawson, Gaines, Lamar and Lubbock.
Dallam County had been on that list for weeks but was removed as part of the state’s May 16 update because two incubation periods, or 42 days, have ed since the last person in those counties was infectious. Garza and Lynn counties were removed from the list May 9 for the same reason. Cochran, Terry and Yoakum were removed June 10.
Here’s how cumulative cases have been distributed throughout the state.
The outbreak began in a Mennonite community in Gaines County and has spread mostly through unvaccinated residents.
Additional cases linked to the Texas outbreak have been identified in New Mexico and Oklahoma.
Texas’ is one of 17 outbreaks that have occurred throughout the country this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Thursday, about 89% of U.S. measles cases this year have been associated with an outbreak.
For comparison, 16 measles outbreaks were reported last year and 69% of measles cases were outbreak-associated. (The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases.)
Public health experts have said increasing spread of measles depends on travel and vaccination.
Local pockets with low vaccination rates are at risk of measles cases, whether related to the West Texas outbreak or not.
How many measles cases have there been in Texas historically?
Measles became a nationally notifiable disease in 1912, which meant all health care providers and labs were required to report all diagnosed cases, according to the CDC. In the first decade of reporting, 6,000 cases were reported annually on average.
In the 1950s, an estimated 3 million to 4 million people in the U.S. got measles every year, about 48,000 were hospitalized, and 400 to 500 died.
A vaccine became available in 1963. It was a single-dose vaccine until a 1989 outbreak among vaccinated school-age children led to health officials to begin recommending a second dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
Since the early 1990s, it’s been standard to ister the MMR vaccine in two doses. The first dose, given between 12 months and 15 months of age, is 93% effective in preventing measles infection; a second dose between ages 4 and 6 boosts that effectiveness to 97%.
While immunity is typically lifelong, people who received an early iteration of the MMR vaccine may want to consider getting another shot. CDC officials recommend anyone vaccinated before 1968 with the inactivated measles vaccine or other measles vaccine to get revaccinated.
Measles was declared eliminated nationally in 2000, with the leading factor being an effective vaccination program. But as vaccination rates have dipped nationwide, states across the country have had outbreaks and some health experts are concerned the country’s measles elimination status is at risk.
For the latest coverage on measles and public health, go to dallasnews.com.
Emily Brindley and Miriam Fauzia contributed reporting.