Latest news with #TexasHealthDepartment
Reuters
30-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Measles cases in Texas rise by nine to 738, state health department says
May 30 (Reuters) - The Texas health department on Friday reported 738 cases of measles in the state, up by nine additional cases since its last update on Tuesday. The U.S. is battling one of the worst outbreaks of measles it has seen, with over 1,000 cases reported for the first time in five years and three confirmed deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,088 confirmed cases in 33 jurisdictions as of May 29. Experts have urged public health officials to provide urgent endorsement for highly effective vaccines for measles. The spread of the contagious airborne infection, however, has shown signs of slowing down over the past two weeks. The number of infections in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak in Texas, recorded one more case since the last update, bringing the total to 409 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. Cases reported by New Mexico's health department remained unchanged at 79 cases.
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Measles cases in Texas rise by six to 728, state health department says
May 23 (Reuters) - The Texas health department on Friday reported 728 cases of measles in the state, up by six cases since its last update on Tuesday. In Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak in the state, the number of infections rose by two cases to 408 since the last update, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. With more than 1,000 reported cases and three confirmed deaths, the U.S. is tackling one of the worst measles outbreaks the country has seen. Measles is a highly contagious airborne infection that can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis, and can lead to death. The outbreak in Texas has spread to neighboring states, including New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. New Mexico's health department reported 78 cases on Friday, an increase of four cases from its last update on Tuesday.
Reuters
16-05-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Texas adds one more measles case, state health department says
May 16 (Reuters) - The Texas health department reported 718 cases of measles in the state on Friday, one additional case since its last update on Tuesday, marking the lowest increase since the outbreak began in February.
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Measles cases in Texas rise to 717, state health department says
May 13 (Reuters) - The Texas health department on Tuesday reported 717 cases of measles in the state, an increase of eight cases since its last update, as the U.S. battles one of the worst outbreaks of the childhood disease in the country.
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
US reports more than 1,000 measles cases amid active outbreaks across 11 states
The United States has reported more than 1,000 measles cases across 11 states, with Texas accounting for the vast majority of these cases, according to the national public health agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 14 outbreaks had been recorded this year, with 93 per cent of confirmed cases being outbreak-associated. As of May 9, Texas's state health department has confirmed 709 cases, 92 per cent of which have been hospitalised over the course of the outbreak, which began three months ago. "There have been two fatalities in school-aged children who lived in the outbreak area [West Texas]," the health department said in a statement. The state department said it was working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak. Other states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Fifty-seven per cent of Texas's cases were in Gaines County, which has a population of 22,892, where the virus had been spreading in a close-knit, under-vaccinated community, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The county has had 403 cases since late January — just over 1.7 per cent of the county's residents, it said. So far, three deaths — including an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico who died of a measles-related illness — have been confirmed in 2025. North America has two other ongoing outbreaks, all of which are caused by the same measles strain, according to the AP. One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,440 cases from mid-October through May 6, representing a 197-case increase in a week. The Mexican state of Chihuahua reported 1,041 measles cases and one death as of Friday, local time, according to data from the state health ministry. The World Health Organization (WHO) said a total of more than 2,300 measles cases were detected in six countries in North America and South America since January 2025, an 11-fold increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Those six countries include Canada, the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Belize. "The majority of cases have occurred among people between 1 and 29 years [old], who are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status," the WHO said. "Additionally, most cases are imported or linked to importation." In April, medical professionals urged travellers to stay vigilant as Australia deals with a local surge of measles, sparked by a global rise in cases amid declining childhood vaccination rates. Doctors told the ABC that the number one defence against the spread of measles was immunisation. According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, Australia has reported 71 measles cases across six states and territories, excluding Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, as of May 9. ABC/AP
