Measles reported for the first time in Doña Ana County
(Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
New Mexico health officials reported five new measles cases in children Tuesday, including the first reported infection in Southern New Mexico's most populous county: Doña Ana, which may have exposed people in a preschool and several Memorial Medical Center locations.
The remaining four cases were in Lea County, where the majority of the outbreak has spread in New Mexico, bringing the measles total to 63 cases. Five of those cases were serious enough to warrant hospitalization.
The New Mexico Department of Health officials recommended Tuesday that parents seek one dose of the measles, mumps rubella vaccine for infants aged 6-11 months living in Doña Ana County, or who will be traveling to either Doña Ana or Lea counties.
'Given how contagious measles is, we expected it to find its way from El Paso County in Texas to neighboring Doña Ana County,' said NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham in a written statement. 'No matter where you live in New Mexico, make sure you and your family are up to date with your vaccinations.'
Health officials said measles exposure may have occurred in the past two weeks at the following dates and locations:
April 2: noon to 6 p.m. at Kid's Kountry Place Preschool and Childcare, 3704 Elk's Drive
April 3 and April 7: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center Family Medicine Center, 2605 Terrace Drive
April 6: 1 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department, 2450 S. Telshor Blvd.
April 7: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center Family Medicine Center, 2605 Terrace Drive
April 8: 7:45 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department and Pediatric unit, 2450 S. Telshor Blvd.
NMDOH requests that anyone exposed or showing symptoms call the measles Helpline at 1-833-796-8773 for help in English or Spanish for vaccine questions or further measles testing. They urged patients to contact doctor's offices or emergency rooms before coming in to allow them to prepare for a potential measles case.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, spread through contact with airborne droplets from infected people. People can spread the measles days before symptoms show, which include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a red spotty rash starting on the head and face and spreading over the body.
The most effective prevention against the measles is two doses of the vaccine, according to health officials.
New Mexico's vaccination rate has more than doubled between Feb. 1 and April 14, with 18,449 vaccinations this year over the 9,863 in the same time period in 2024.
In addition to the 10 walk-in vaccine clinics in eight counties posted to the website, NMDOH announced two additional locations in Las Cruces:
Walk-in vaccine hours are from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday mornings at the Las Cruces Public Health Office, 1170 N. Solano Drive. (575) 528-5001.
From 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays at Las Cruces East Mesa Public Health Office, 5220 Holman Road. (575) 382-0540.
In other parts of the state, cases remain unchanged at two infections reported in Eddy County and one infection in Chaves County. Nearly 60% of New Mexico's measles cases have impacted children, with 17 cases reported in very young children; 19 cases in children ages 7 to 17-years old; and 27 cases in adults.
Texas Health officials reported 20 additional cases Tuesday, totaling 561 cases in 23 counties. The majority of cases remain in Gaines County, which has one of the lowest childhood vaccination rates in Texas.
The U.S. has more than twice the number of measles cases reported in 2024.
Three reported measles deaths have occurred during the outbreak: two Texas children, and one Lea County adult, which is still under investigation, according to a spokesperson for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
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