Measles outbreak 2025: Confirmed case in Rockwall County

ROCKWALL COUNTY, Texas - The Rockwall County Health Authority says there is a confirmed case of measles in the county, and it may be connected to the recent West Texas outbreak, based on the person's travel history.

County officials say the adult resident of Rockwall County tested positive for measles last week, and traveled to West Texas recently.

The person was at home for most of their infectious period, and the person is no longer infectious and has recovered.

The Rockwall County Health Authority worked with DSHS to identify and notify potentially exposed individuals. Those who may have been in close contact with the infected individual during the contagious period have been contacted directly by health officials.

Texas Measles Outbreak update

Big picture view:

State health officials on Tuesday said the number of measles cases in the state linked to a West Texas outbreak has grown to 561 since January. This number does not include any confirmed cases since then. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 20 new cases on Tuesday.

Officials said fewer than 25 of the cases identified by the state were estimated to be "actively infectious" since the rash onset was more than a week ago.

The latest:

State health officials reported 20 new cases of measles on Tuesday, with the highest number of new cases again being reported in Gaines County.

Gaines County reported an additional nine cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 364. The county accounts for nearly 65% of the state's cases.

The state also reported one new case in Reeves County on Tuesday.

Health officials on Friday identified Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum counties as "designated outbreak counties."

The outbreak has seen 58 people hospitalized since the outbreak started. 

Since January, seven cases have been reported in people who were considered fully vaccinated and four cases in people who only had one dose of the vaccine.

The other 550 cases were reported in people who were either not vaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown.

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.

READ MORE: Measles vaccination rates in Texas: Find your school district.

Here is the vaccination status of the patients:

• Not Vaccinated/unknown status: 550
• Vaccinated with one dose: 4
• Vaccinated with two or more doses: 7

What's next:

The Texas Department of State Health Services releases case updates on Tuesdays and Fridays.

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.

Most of the cases were connected to international travel.

• Harris County: 4
• Fort Bend: 1
• Rockwall County: 1
• Travis County: 1

What is measles?

Why you should care:

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.

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