Texas Reports 25 New Measles Cases, Bringing State Total to 223

Authorities in Texas reported 25 new measles cases over the last five days, bringing the state’s total to 223 as the outbreak continues to spread.

Authorities in Texas, the hardest-hit state with the first confirmed US measles death in a decade, also said about 13% of diagnosed patients have been hospitalized. The vast majority of patients are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status, health authorities said.

The ongoing measles outbreak has led to confirmed cases across 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest update on Friday.

The Texas epicenter is in Gaines County, a rural area where roughly one in five children is unvaccinated. The outbreak has spilled over the border to New Mexico, where local authorities are investigating a death that may have been caused by measles. Other cases in the US have been related to exposure during international travel, according to the CDC.

The CDC dispatched a team of experts to Texas after the state health department requested federal help tracking the outbreak. Last week, the CDC issued an alert recommending that people traveling to the outbreak areas in Texas and New Mexico consult their doctors beforehand and watch for signs of measles infection for three weeks after visiting.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that is easily preventable by vaccination. The MMR vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing transmission after one dose.