Texas measles outbreak 2025: More than 300 cases detected in state
The Brief
309 cases of measles have been detected in a West Texas outbreak since late January.
40 of those patients have been hospitalized.
211 cases have been detected in Gaines County.
More than 300 measles cases have been detected in Texas since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
30 new cases connected to a West Texas outbreak were reported in Friday's update from Texas DSHS.
Cases have been found in three new West Texas counties in recent days.
The Latest
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed 309 cases of measles since late January.
40 of those patients have been hospitalized.
Gaines County accounted for 20 of the 30 new cases reported Friday. The West Texas county has been the center of the outbreak.
Case numbers have consistently climbed since the state first started reporting cases in early February.
Only two of the 309 cases are among people who were vaccinated. DSHS says the three cases that were previously classified as vaccinated, have been changed to unvaccinated. In two of those cases, the patients had only received their vaccination one or two days before their symptoms started and after they had been exposed to the virus.
It takes about 14 days after a person is vaccinated to develop immunity.
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: 211
Lubbock County: 8
Lynn County: 2
Terry County: 37
Yoakum County: 12
Dawson County: 13
Ector County: 2
Dallam County: 6
Martin County: 3
Cochran County : 7
Lamar County: 5
Garza County: 1
Hale County: 1
Hockley County: 1
Here are the total cases by age:
0-4 years: 102 cases
5-17 years: 130 cases
18+: 58 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.
What's next
The Texas Department of State Health Services releases case updates on Tuesdays and Fridays.
There have been other cases reported in Texas, but officials say they were not connected to the outbreak in West Texas.
Most of the cases were connected to international travel.
Harris County: 3
Lamar County: 2
Midland County: 1
Rockwall County: 1
Travis County: 1
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Source
Information in this article comes from the March 21 update from the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control.
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