Latest news with #NewMexicoDepartmentofHealth
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NMDOH: Measles cases rise to 76 in New Mexico; CDC helping monitor suspected cases
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The number of measles cases in New Mexico rose to 76, the New Mexico Department of Health announced in a press conference Thursday afternoon. Two of those new cases were reported in Sandoval County, bringing the total number of cases there to four, NMDOH Secretary Gina DeBlassie and NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Miranda Durham said. Possible measles exposure reported at Shakira concert in New Jersey A majority of the cases in New Mexico this year have been confirmed in Lea County; however, in addition to the Sandoval County cases, there have also been infections in Curry, Eddy, Doña Ana, and Chaves counties. NMDOH also confirmed that an adult who died in Lea County in March died due to pneumonia caused by measles. NMDOH said in March that the individual was unvaccinated did not seek medical care; however, at the time, it was too early to tell if the virus caused death. Right now NMDOH is conducting contact tracing to gather data about the infections and how they may have spread. The department has also conducted wastewater testing for the virus, and the most recent results came back negative in Roswell, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Deming, Rincon, Chaparral, south central Carlsbad, and Portales. The state health department is also working with the CDC to build investigations, conduct analyses, publish reports, and determine suspected measles cases. During the press conference, DeBlassie and Durham both expressed the importance of getting the MMR vaccine and encouraged people who have yet to be vaccinated to do so. Measles symptoms start with a runny nose, cough, and eye redness, and progress to rash and fever. Anyone with measles can infect others from four days before the rash appears and up to four days after the rash is gone, according to the NMDOH. Free health event for Albuquerque's older adults If you have symptoms and believe you were exposed to measles, call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773) for guidance in English and Spanish from nurses. You are also asked to contact your doctor or the emergency department first. To view the NMDOH measles webpage, which includes information on where to get the vaccine and details about confirmed cases, click here. Watch the full press conference below: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health officials urge measles vaccine ahead of summer travel
ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Department of Health has some advice about measles ahead of the summer travel season. "Get vaccinated and go have fun," the department's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said at a news conference Thursday. The state's measles outbreak this week surpassed 75 cases, with 76 known cases — the majority in Lea County but including four in Sandoval County — as of Thursday afternoon. So far, the outbreak has resulted in seven hospitalizations and one death. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more than 1,000 measles cases across 31 U.S. states. Durham noted New Mexico's cases share the same genotype as initial cases in West Texas, across the border from Lea County, as well as many of the cases across the country. State health officials called Thursday's news conference to provide updates on the state's measles outbreaks in anticipation of summertime travel. "As summer is approaching and travel season is upon us, we want to make sure that we get information out about the measles virus and want to make sure that everybody stays safe," said Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie. "Be sure to get vaccinated," she added. "That's the best protection." Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, rashes and serious complications like pneumonia, brain swelling and death. How contagious? "One of the most contagious viruses that we know," Durham said. It spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, Durham added, and those viral particles can remain suspended in an enclosed environment for up to two hours. Since the start of New Mexico's measles outbreak in February, the Department of Health has created a measles information dashboard at hosted mobile vaccine clinics, coordinated with the CDC and updated health care providers, school nurses, tribal leaders and other stakeholders, DeBlassie said. Wastewater testing for the disease is ongoing in Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque and several locations in the southern half of the state, with the most recent results coming back negative. Two doses of the MMR — or measles, mumps and rubella — vaccine is the best way to prevent a case of measles, according to the Department of Health. The typical MMR vaccine schedule includes a first dose shortly after a child's first birthday and a second dose around kindergarten, between 4 and 6 years old. The department is now recommending an additional dose — or three doses total — of the vaccine between six and 11 months for children who live in or travel to areas of high measles activity, including parts of New Mexico with active measles cases like Sandoval, Curry, Lea and Doña Ana counties, Durham said. Across the board, New Mexico's measles vaccination rates among kindergartners are at about 95%, reaching the "magic number" for herd immunity, Durham said. Rates of children under 18 who have received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine fall a few percentage points below 95% in some parts of New Mexico — including Santa Fe, Los Alamos, San Miguel, Colfax and Taos counties. Adults born after 1957 are considered immune after one dose of the MMR vaccine, but an extra dose is recommended for adults in outbreak areas. Adults born before 1957 almost certainly had measles because the virus was much more common then. Pregnant and severely immunocompromised people cannot get the measles vaccine. Durham recommended women get the vaccine prior to becoming pregnant. Health care workers have provided nearly 30,000 MMR vaccines in New Mexico from Feb. 1 to Wednesday, close to twice the number of vaccinations during the same period in 2024. "If you are vaccinated and up to date on vaccines, [you] really are very well protected and so don't need to be scared," Durham said. "You can go travel, but the message is: Get vaccinated before you do."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Mexico judiciary names behavioral health administrator to implement new legislation
The New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts has hired Esperanza Lucero, a longtime state social services leader, as its behavioral health integration and reform administrator, a new position set to play a major role in carrying out newly enacted legislation. Lucero will implement the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act, also known as Senate Bill 3, the agency said in a news release. Signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in February, SB 3 tasks the Administrative Office of the Courts with coordinating the development of regional behavioral health plans, with a goal of expanding access to services throughout the state. 'Esperanza is a great fit for this inaugural position,' Administrative Office of the Courts Director Karl Reifsteck said in a statement. 'Her experience working extensively with state and local agencies to implement policy, strategies and initiatives will help in laying the groundwork for behavioral health system improvements required by state law.' Under SB 3, the Administrative Office of the Courts is responsible for convening behavioral health stakeholders — including providers, advocates, law enforcement, state agencies and local, regional and tribal governments — and identifying behavioral health resources and gaps through a patient mapping process known as the Sequential Intercept Model. That work is already underway, with mapping completed in Taos, Union, Colfax and Rio Arriba counties in 2024, and Santa Fe County earlier this year. Workshops are scheduled in June to complete the task in Los Alamos, San Miguel, Mora and Guadalupe counties. Before starting her new position, Lucero served as director of the New Mexico Department of Health's Center for Health Protection and led the state Aging and Long-Term Services Department's Adult Protective Services Division. She holds master's degrees in social work and business administration from New Mexico Highlands University and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from New Mexico State University. 'I am passionate about strengthening behavioral health services delivery in New Mexico," Lucero said in a statement. "It's an honor to serve in this capacity.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield died of fentanyl, alcohol toxicity
May 15—Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield died last month due to the toxic effects of fentanyl and ethanol, according to an autopsy report released by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner Thursday morning. The report concludes Merrifield died by "accident" due to the combined effects of the substances. According to the autopsy, Merrifield had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.071 and 23 nanograms per millimeter of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid known for being 50 to 100 times as powerful as morphine. The drug has become widely known to New Mexicans and Americans in recent years for its high risk of addiction and overdose. Merrifield's body was found in his patrol vehicle outside his home overlooking Abiquiu Reservoir on Easter Sunday, April 20. New Mexico State Police handled the preliminary investigation and said the former Rio Arriba top cop had died "unexpectedly." Merrifield was 50. According to a January report from the New Mexico Department of Health, fentanyl was involved in 65% of overdose deaths in the state in 2023. However, overall overdose deaths have declined 8% statewide since 2021, when they reached a peak of 1,029. This is a developing story.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NMDOH sees increase in MMR vaccinations in 2025
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Department of Health said it has seen an increase in the number of New Mexicans who have received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine between Feb. 1 and May 12, compared to the same time frame last year. 'The MMR vaccine remains the best tool against the measles virus, and the ever-growing number of New Mexicans getting it speaks to their desire to slow the ongoing outbreak,' Andrea Romero, manager of the immunization program in the New Mexico Department of Health, stated in a news release. Protect your skin: UV index reaches high levels in Albuquerque Between Feb. 1 and May 12, 27,123 New Mexicans have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, roughly twice the number of residents who got the shot during the same time last year. A total of 71 measles cases have been reported in the state this year, and the first confirmed case of 2025 was on Feb. 11. Cases have been diagnosed in five New Mexico counties: Chaves, Curry, Doña Ana, Eddy, and Lea. Symptoms of measles can develop between seven to 21 days after exposure, and include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a red spotted rash that usually starts on the head or face and spreads downward to cover the rest of the body. If you have these symptoms and believe you were exposed to measles, call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773) for guidance in English and Spanish from nurses. It is also recommended that you contact your doctor or local emergency department first. The following public health offices offer daily walk-in MMR vaccinations with no appointments needed until further notice: Artesia (Eddy County) Public Health Office, 1001 Memorial Dr. 575-746-9819. Carlsbad (Eddy County) Public Health Office, 1306 W. Stevens St. 575-885-4191. Clovis (Curry County) Public Health Office, 1216 Cameo St. 575-763-5583. Hobbs (Lea County) Public Health Office, 1923 N. Dal Paso St. 575-397-2463. Lovington (Lea County) Public Health Office, 302 N. 5th St. 575-396-2853. Portales (Roosevelt County) Public Health Office, 1513 W. Fir St. 575-356-4453. Roswell (Chaves County) Public Health Office, 200 East Chisum St. 575-624-6050. Ruidoso (Lincoln County) Public Health Office, 117 Kansas City Rd. 575-258-3252. Tucumcari (Quay County) Public Health Office, 310 S. 2nd St. 575-461-2610. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
