Texas DSHS: No confirmed case of rubella or measles in Mexia ISD
The measles virus, paramyxoviridae from the Morbillivirus family, transmission microscopy view. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
DALLAS - The Texas Department of State Health Services is trying to set the record straight about Mexia ISD, saying the school district incorrectly reported that it had a measles case and has no confirmed case of rubella.
No measles or rubella in Mexia ISD
What we know:
DSHS officials released a statement on Friday evening saying there has not been a confirmed case of rubella in the Mexia area.
"We’ve been able to determine that a child had a positive result on an antibody test that would show immunity from a previous vaccination or infection. It apparently got misreported to the parent, who passed the information on to the school," the state health department said.
What we don't know:
Mexia ISD has not yet commented on the health department's latest update.
It's not clear if the child will undergo further testing.
Mexia ISD issues measles "false alarm"
The backstory:
A post from Mexia ISD superintendent Ryder Appleton on social media and the district’s website on Thursday afternoon said there had been a confirmed case of measles within the district.
The school district said it would close on Friday to conduct a comprehensive cleaning and sanitation of all campuses and buses.
DSHS later issued a statement calling the case that was thought to be measles a "false alarm."
Measles case reported in Mexia ISD a "false alarm," Texas DSHS says
The Texas Department of State Health Services says that a reported case of measles in Mexia ISD was a "false alarm." The school later clarified that it's actually a different contagious disease.
In a follow-up press release, Mexia ISD clarified that "a person within the district" notified the nurse that they had been "diagnosed with measles."
The district said the nurse followed up with the person’s doctor and confirmed it was actually a case of rubella, sometimes known as German measles.
What is rubella?
Dig deeper:
Rubella is a highly contagious illness caused by the RuV virus.
Symptoms of rubella usually start with a rash on someone's face before it migrates to the rest of the body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Rubella can be spread through coughing, sneezing or touching infected surfaces.
While anyone can get rubella, serious complications for adults and children are rare.
However, the disease is most serious in pregnancies.
Rubella in pregnant woman can lead to a miscarriage or an infant born with several birth defects.
According to the CDC, rubella is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable birth defects. There are no medications to treat rubella, but there is a vaccine available for it, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Are rubella and measles the same thing?
No.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, both diseases give you a rash and other similar symptoms, but they are caused by different viruses.
Currently, fewer than 10 people in the U.S. contract rubella each year.
In 2024, there were nearly 300 measles cases in the U.S., the CDC reports.
Texas Measles Outbreak 2025
What's new:
The Texas Department of State Health Services released the latest numbers about the measles outbreak in Texas on Friday.
146 cases of measles connected to that outbreak have been detected since late January. That is 22 new cases since the last update on Tuesday.
Texas measles outbreak: 146 cases confirmed since late January
22 new cases of measles have been confirmed in Texas. 146 cases have been detected since January in the state.
This number does not include the confirmed case of measles reported in Rockwall County on Wednesday afternoon because health officials believe the person contracted the disease overseas.
Why you should care:
Texas has seen its first death in this year's measles outbreak that has infected nearly 150 people across the state since late last month.
This is the first death in the U.S. caused by measles since 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
North Texas had its first confirmed case of measles this year, but officials do not believe that it is connected to the outbreak in West Texas.
The case in Mexia comes as measles continues to spread in West Texas.
An unvaccinated child in Lubbock died of the disease this week, according to state officials.
Texas child becomes first to die of measles in U.S. since 2015
Officials say the school-aged child was not vaccinated and was hospitalized in Lubbock last week after testing positive for measles. This is the first death in the U.S. caused by measles since 2015, according to the CDC.
It is the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015, according to the CDC.
The backstory:
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?
RFK Jr. on Texas measles outbreak
Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks about the measles outbreak in Texas that has killed a child.
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.
Measles: Your questions answered
State health officials say the 2025 measles outbreak is the largest in the state in nearly 30 years. Here are some of the most common questions about the illness and the answers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
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.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Information on the deadly measles case comes from the City of Lubbock. Other information about measles comes from the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of State Health Services.