Texas measles outbreak 2025: Cases rise to nearly 600

State health officials on Friday said the number of measles cases in the state linked to a West Texas outbreak has grown to 597 since January.

Texas Measles Outbreak update

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 36 new cases on Friday.

Officials said fewer than 30 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 36 new cases of measles on Friday, with the highest number of new cases being reported in El Paso County.

Gaines County reported an additional seven cases on Friday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 371. The county accounts for about 62% of the state's cases.

The state also reported the first cases in Parmer and Potter counties.

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 62 people hospitalized since the outbreak started. The state reported four of those hospitalizations in Friday's update. 

Since January, 12 cases have been reported in people who were considered fully vaccinated and 10 cases in people who only had one dose of the vaccine.

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 Friday's update from the state.

The other 575 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.

By the numbers:

Here are the total cases by county:

• Gaines County: 371
• Lubbock County: 42
• Lynn County: 2
• Terry County: 52
• Yoakum County: 19
• Dawson County: 24
• Ector County: 9
• Dallam County: 7
• Martin County: 3
• Cochran County : 12
• Lamar County: 11
• Garza County: 2
• Hale County: 5
• Hockley County: 5
• Lamb County: 1
• Andrews County: 2
• Midland County: 2
• Brown County: 1
• Erath County: 1
• Borden County: 1
• Randall County: 1
• El Paso County: 18
• Reeves County: 1
• Parmer County: 4
• Potter County: 1

Here are the total cases by age:

• 0-4 years: 182 cases
• 5-17 years: 219 cases
• 18+: 172 cases
• Unknown: 24 cases

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

Here is the vaccination status of the patients:

• Not Vaccinated/unknown status: 575
• Vaccinated with one dose: 10
• Vaccinated with two or more doses: 12

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.

• 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?

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.

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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