Texas Reports First Death From Measles Outbreak That Has Infected More Than 120

One person has died from measles after an outbreak in West Texas that began late last month and infected more than 100 people, mostly children. Lubbock city spokesperson Lauren Adams has confirmed the death without revealing the identity or age of the person.

According to the state health department, the measles outbreak in the rural western part of the state has now grown to 124 cases across nine counties. There are also an additional nine cases in eastern New Mexico.

Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed. Doctors say while most kids recover from measles if they get it, the infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and even death.

According to news reports, the outbreak is largely spreading in the Mennonite community in an area where small towns are separated by vast stretches of oil rig-dotted open land but connected due to people traveling between towns for work, church, grocery shopping, and other day-to-day errands.

The outbreaks come amid a rise in US anti-vaccine sentiment, including towards the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) jab that is typically given during childhood.

Most US children receive two shots to protect against the illness, which together are 97 per cent effective in protecting against measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health experts say that the disease could be controlled or even eradicated with proper inoculation rates—generally defined as 95 per cent of a community receiving the vaccine.

But vaccination rates have dropped in some communities in recent decades as a loose network of vaccine skeptics have, without evidence, questioned the safety and efficacy of the shots.

Measles is a viral disease that causes fever and a red rash which is highly contagious and spreads through the air when a person with the infection talks, coughs, or sneezes. While there is no medical treatment for measles, you have to let the virus run its course.

Symptoms typically 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:

• High fever
• Tiredness and fatigue
• A barky cough
• Red or bloodshot eyes
• A runny nose and sore throat
• Muscle pain
• Light sensitivity

Doctors say a few days after these symptoms begin, you will develop a red, blotchy rash that spreads from your face to the rest of your body. The rash itself lasts about seven to 10 days.

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