Texas measles outbreak 2025: State reports 20 new cases as total nears 300 infections

AUSTIN, Texas - Measles cases in West Texas continue to climb, with the Texas Department of State Health Services reporting an additional 20 cases Tuesday.

In an update provided Tuesday, state health officials said 279 cases have been identified since late January, resulting in 36 hospitalizations.

Nearly all the new cases were reported in Gaines County.

Texas measles outbreak

The Latest:

The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed 279 cases of measles since late January.

Gaines County accounted for 17 of the 20 new cases reported Tuesday. The West Texas county has been the center of the outbreak.

All twenty new cases were in people who were not vaccinated.

READ MORE: Who are the Mennonites? Texas measles outbreak impacts community

In Texas, one school-aged child died from complications with the measles and 36 patients have been hospitalized. That's an increase of two hospitalizations since Friday.

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

By the numbers:

Here are the total cases by county:

• Gaines County: 191
• Lubbock County: 5
• Lynn County: 2
• Terry County: 36
• Yoakum County: 11
• Dawson County: 11
• Ector County: 2
• Dallam County: 6
• Martin County: 3
• Cochran County : 7
• Lamar County: 5

Here are the total cases by age:

• 0-4 years: 88 cases
• 5-17 years: 120 cases
• 18+: 52 cases
• Unknown: 19 cases

Here is the vaccination status of the patients:

• Not Vaccinated/unknown status: 277
• Vaccinated with two or more doses: 2

On Friday, health officials said three cases they classified as vaccinated were not vaccinated cases. In those instances, two cases had gotten vaccine doses one or two days before symptoms started, and after exposure. 

It takes around 14 days to develop immunity after vaccination.

The third case that had previously been labeled as a vaccination case was in Lubbock County where a person had a reaction to the vaccine. The case has been removed from the count.

Health officials said that while the vaccine can cause a reaction with a rash and fever that mimics measles, it is not an infection and cannot spread to others.

Other measles cases in the state

Outside the cases health officials believe are tied to the outbreak in Gaines County, other counties are reporting cases.

Measles cases have also been detected in Austin and Rockwall County, but both of those cases involved people who had traveled abroad. 

The cases are not included in the update from DSHS. Three cases in Harris County have also been reported, but those were also associated with international travel and one Harris County case had symptoms in 2024.

In Lamar County, five cases have been reported as connected to the West Texas outbreak, but the county also has two cases that health officials say are not connected.

The source of exposure in Lamar County is currently under investigation, health officials said Tuesday.

It is the biggest measles outbreak in Texas in the last 30 years.

What's next:

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

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 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.

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