Collin County confirms one middle school student has measles

COLLIN COUNTY, Texas - Collin County Health Care Services confirms a student at Willow Springs Middle School in Lucas, TX has measles. Officials say they are notifying contacts and say families should make sure vaccinations are up-to-date. 

Health officials in Collin County on Friday warned of a possible exposure in Plano after a person who tested positive for measles visited three different stores. No cases were reported in Collin County in Tuesday's update from the state.

Texas Measles Outbreak update

State health officials on Tuesday said the number of measles cases in the state linked to a West Texas outbreak has grown to 624 since January. This number does not include the Collins County case. Updated information from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services will have another update on Friday.

Officials said fewer than 10 of the cases identified by the state were estimated to be "actively infectious" since the rans onset was more than a week ago.

The Latest:

State health officials reported 27 new cases of measles on Tuesday, with the highest number of new cases being reported in Gaines County.

Gaines County reported an additional 20 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 386. The county accounts for nearly 62 percent of the state's cases.

There have been 64 patients hospitalized since the outbreak started. The state reported two of those hospitalizations on Tuesday. The number of people currently in the hospital for measles has not been released.

In Texas, two school-aged children have died from complications with the measles. Both were not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, state health officials said.

Other measles cases in Texas

There have been other cases reported in Texas, but officials say they were not connected to the outbreak in West Texas.

• Brazoria County: 1
• Harris County: 4
• Fort Bend: 2
• Rockwall County: 2
• Travis County: 1
• Upshur County: 15

State health officials said two of the cases in Upshur County were in residents of the county, and they were working to determine the residency status for the rest of the cases and if any of those cases are connected to the West Texas outbreak.

What is measles?

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. 

Measles virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. 

Illness onset (high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes) begins a week or two after someone is exposed. A few days later, the telltale rash breaks out as flat, red spots on the face and then spreads down the neck and trunk to the rest of the body. 

A person is contagious from about four days before the rash appears to four days after. People with measles should stay home from work or school during that period.

Symptoms of Measles

Common symptoms of measles include: 

• High fever (as high as 105°F)
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red and watery eyes
• Tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth 2-3 days after symptoms begin
• Rash 3-5 days after other signs of illness. The "measles rash" typically starts at the face and then spreads down to the rest of the body.

How to prevent getting measles

The best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at preventing measles.

Some vaccinated people can occasionally develop measles; however, they generally experience milder symptoms and are less likely to spread the disease to other people.

What to do if you've been exposed to measles

If you think you have measles or have been exposed to someone with measles, isolate yourself from others and call your healthcare provider before arriving to be tested so they can prepare for your arrival without exposing other people to the virus. Measles is extremely contagious and can cause life-threatening illness to anyone who is not protected against the virus. Review your and your child’s vaccination history to see if you are up-to-date on your measles vaccines. Additionally, discuss with your provider your vaccination history and any questions about these vaccines.

Controlling outbreaks in group settings

• People with confirmed or suspected measles should stay home from school, work, and other group settings until after the fourth day of rash onset.
• During an outbreak, people without documented immunity from vaccination or previous measles infection should be isolated from anyone with measles to protect those without immunity and control the outbreak.
• According to the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Rule §97.7, schools and childcare settings shall exclude unimmunized children for at least 21 days after the last date the unimmunized child was exposed to a measles case.

Collin CountyMeaslesHealthPlano