Measles case confirmed in unvaccinated adult in Rockwall County

ROCKWALL COUNTY, Texas - North Texas has its first confirmed case of measles this year, but officials do not believe that it is connected to the outbreak in West Texas.

Rockwall County Measles Case

What we know:

An adult living in Rockwall County tested positive for measles this month, revealed Rockwall County Health Authority Dr. Dirk Perritt on Wednesday.

The adult traveled out of the country and returned on Feb. 6. Five days later, they began experiencing symptoms. State officials say he was not vaccinated.

Two days later on Feb. 13, they were admitted to a hospital. They spent about a week there and are now recovering at home. 

Rockwall County Emergency Management Coordinator Jarod Rosson says they were first notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services this Tuesday.

A DSHS spokesperson says they didn’t confirm it was a case of measles until towards the end of the adult’s hospital stay.

Rosson says a group of first responders came in contact with the individual. Those first responders and three other people who were in contact with the person are not showing symptoms.

"What Rockwall County Emergency Management and our local health authority have been doing is identifying any first responders that came into contact with this person to make sure that they also have the information that they needed to monitor themselves," said Rosson.

The county says it is doing contact tracing and believes the case is isolated. They don’t believe he was going in public places while infected.

What they're saying:

When asked about the skepticism some have toward vaccine efficacy in the wake of COVID-19, Dr. Perritt noted the measles vaccine has a long track record.

"The vaccine for measles is one of the most widely tested vaccines in human history, and that risk is extremely small," he said. "It’s not zero, but it’s much less than one in 1,000, which is your risk of death if you get measles. And I just think the community just needs to be aware of that and assess that on their own individual basis."

The CDC says the measles vaccine is more than 90% effective.

What we know:

Health authorities didn’t say the age or sex of the person who was infected. They also didn’t say which country he traveled to. 

Texas Measles Outbreak 2025

The case in Rockwall comes as the measles is continuing to spread in West Texas.

An unvaccinated child in Lubbock died of the disease this week, according to state officials.

It is the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015, according to the CDC.

State health officials say the outbreak is the largest in the state in nearly 30 years.

Since late January, 125 cases of measles have been identified across 9 counties, with 18 people being hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. There have been 34 new cases reported in the region since Friday.

State health officials said five of the reported cases were in patients who were vaccinated. The rest were reported in either unvaccinated people or those whose vaccination status was unknown.

The measles virus can survive in the air for up to two hours, so the times listed include two hours after the individual left that location. 

Measles symptoms can begin 7 to 21 days after an exposure.

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 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 for 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.

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