Texas Measles Outbreak Nears 100 Cases, Raising Concerns About Undetected Spread

More than 90 cases of measles have now been confirmed in northwest Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The outbreak of the highly contagious infection, which began in late January, has ballooned this week, with 32 new cases reported this week.

Authorities said at least sixteen patients have been hospitalised.

The health department said the virus is spreading primarily among unvaccinated or unknown vaccine recipients. Only five cases have been reported among vaccinated people. According to health officials, there are also several missing and undetected infections they are worried about since they would not be able to contain transmission if they cannot identify who is infected.

Doctors say most unvaccinated people will contract measles if they are exposed to the airborne virus - which lingers for up to two hours indoors. Those infected spread the disease before they have symptoms.

Around 1 in 5 people with measles end up hospitalised, 1 in 10 children develop ear infections that can lead to permanent hearing loss, and about 1 in 1,000 children die from respiratory and neurological conditions.

“We have a high, high number of unvaccinated,” Tonya Guffey, the chief nursing officer at Seminole District Hospital in Gaines County, was quoted by NBC News. “It’s not that they’re not educated. It’s just what their belief is.”

The bulk of cases have been recorded in Gaines and Terry Counties, which are along Texas' northwest border and about five hours from Albuquerque, New Mexico. As of the 2023-24 school year, Gaines County had one of Texas' highest vaccine exemption rates, nearly 20 per cent.

Last year, the US tallied 285 measles cases, the highest number since 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Measles is a viral disease that leads to high fever and rash. It is highly contagious and spreads through the air when a person with measles talks, coughs, or sneezes. According to doctors, there is no medical treatment for measles, and you have to let the virus run its course. The best protection against measles is to receive the measles vaccine.

Since the introduction of a vaccine, measles isn’t nearly as common as before the availability of a vaccine. However, immuni rates have been declining in the United States.

Doctors say those who have not received the measles vaccination can get the infection. Before the measles vaccine was available, almost everyone got measles as a child. If you’ve had measles or were vaccinated against measles, you are probably immune.

According to experts, symptoms of measles develop about eight to 12 days after you are exposed to someone with measles. However, there have been times that it takes up to 21 days to develop symptoms after exposure. The most common measles symptoms include:

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