State health officials urge vigilance as additional measles cases are identified

The Texas Department of State Health Services is announcing two confirmed cases of measles in residents of Gaines County. Both cases are in unvaccinated school age children who were hospitalized in Lubbock and have since been discharged. DSHS is supporting the South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health in the disease investigation. These newly identified cases are in addition to two confirmed measles cases reported in unvaccinated residents of Harris County earlier this month. The Harris County cases were the first confirmed measles cases in Texas since 2023.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness, which can cause life-threatening illness to anyone who is not protected against the virus. Measles can be transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. People who are infected will begin to have symptoms within a week or two after being exposed. Early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A few days later, the telltale rash breaks out as flat, red spots on the face and then spreads down the neck and trunk to the rest of the body. A person is contagious about four days before the rash appears to four days after. People who could have measles should stay home during that period.

People who think they have measles or may have been exposed to measles should isolate themselves and call their health care provider before arriving to be tested. It is important to let the provider know that the patient may have measles and to get instructions on how to come to the office for diagnosis without exposing other people to the virus.

The best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella or MMR vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine prevent more than 97 percent of measles infections. A small number of vaccinated people can occasionally develop measles. In these cases, the symptoms are generally milder, and they are less likely to spread the disease to other people. DSHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend children receive one does of MMR at 12 to 15 months of age and another at 4 to 6 years. Children too young to be vaccinated are more likely to have severe complications if they get infected with the measles virus. However, each MMR dose lowers the risk of infection and the severity of illness if infected.

Health care providers can find recommendations for infection control and diagnostic testing in the health alert issued last week. Providers should report any suspected cases to their local health department immediately, preferably while the patient is still with the provider.

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(News Media Contact: Lara Anton, DSHS Senior Press Officer, 512-776-7753)