Measles cases in the U.S. climb to 434 amid ongoing multi-state outbreak

The number of measles cases linked to the outbreak centered in West Texas has risen to 379 across three states, with Texas alone reporting a total of 327 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, according to state health officials. New cases were also reported in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Minnesota.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (TXDSHS) confirmed 18 new cases since the last update, bringing the state’s outbreak total to 327. Gaines County remains the epicenter with 226 cases, followed by Terry County with 37. The outbreak now spans 15 counties.

Most of the cases continue to affect children and teenagers: 105 in children aged 0–4, 140 in individuals aged 5–17, and 63 among adults. Nineteen cases are still under age classification review.

A vast majority of the individuals—325 out of 327—were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Only two cases involved individuals who had received two or more doses of the measles vaccine. TXDSHS has also confirmed eight cases unrelated to the outbreak so far this year.

In New Mexico, the number of outbreak-related measles cases has reached 43, with one new case confirmed since the last report. Lea County accounts for 41 of the cases, and Eddy County for the remaining two.

Eight of the cases were in children aged 0–4, eleven in children aged 5–17, and twenty-three in adults. One case is pending age confirmation. Thirty-one of the individuals were unvaccinated, eight had an unknown vaccination status, and four had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Oklahoma has now reported nine confirmed cases related to the outbreak—seven confirmed and two probable—an increase of five since the last update from the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH).

All nine individuals were either unvaccinated or of unknown vaccination status. The cases are believed to be located in the northeast part of the state, possibly in or near Tulsa, though state officials have not disclosed exact locations.

The outbreak has resulted in one confirmed death—an unvaccinated school-aged child in Lubbock, Texas—and one death under investigation in New Mexico, where a resident tested positive for measles posthumously.

A total of 434 measles cases have been reported across 21 states so far this year, with the vast majority linked to the ongoing outbreak.

The only case reported today outside the outbreak involves a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Washington, D.C. It is Minnesota’s first confirmed case of the year, though some local media initially identified it as D.C.’s first.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause life-threatening complications in individuals who are not protected against the virus. During an outbreak, approximately one in five infected individuals requires hospitalization, and one in 20 develops pneumonia, according to TXDSHS. In rare cases, measles can lead to brain swelling and death.

The virus spreads through direct contact with infectious droplets or through airborne transmission when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Symptoms typically appear one to two weeks after exposure.

Early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A few days later, the characteristic measles rash appears as flat, red spots on the face before spreading down the neck, trunk, and the rest of the body.