Measles outbreak surpasses 200 cases in Texas and New Mexico
The measles outbreak in West Texas has soared to 198 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported Friday.
SEMINOLE, Texas — The measles outbreak in West Texas has soared to 198 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported Friday. In New Mexico, 30 cases have been reported in Lea County, which borders Gaines County, of as Friday.
Twenty-three people — mostly unvaccinated children — have been hospitalized in West Texas.
A 6-year-old in Texas died last week, and on Wednesday, Lea County health officials reported a suspected measles death in an adult.
The reported number of cases is likely a large undercount because many people aren't getting tested, said Katherine Wells, director of public health at the health department in Lubbock, Texas.
Even as hospitals in the area offer free testing and vaccination, the growing outbreak shows the challenge health workers face in stopping the spread of one of the most contagious viruses known to humans.
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