Tejal Somvanshi
A fast-moving measles outbreak has struck West Texas, infecting 58 people and sending 13 to hospitals. Most cases are in Gaines County, where the virus spreads through a tight-knit Mennonite community.
“There is a 90% chance you will get it if you are unvaccinated and step into a room where someone with measles was two hours before,” warns Dr. Marc Siegel. This explains why the virus moves so quickly through groups where many people haven’t gotten their shots.
The numbers paint a worrying picture. Of the 58 sick people, 48 are children and teenagers. Fifteen cases are in kids under 4 years old, while 33 affect children between 5 and 17. Only six adults have gotten sick so far, with four cases still being checked.
The rest of the infected people are either unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, with only four confirmed to be vaccinated. This mirrors what health officials often see – measles hits hardest in places where fewer people are vaccinated.
The outbreak has already jumped to nearby areas. Nine people in Terry County have measles, along with two in Yoakum County, and one each in Lubbock and Lynn Counties. Even more concerning, eight cases have shown up across the state line in New Mexico.
Similar Posts
When someone gets measles, they first get symptoms that might seem like a bad cold – fever, coughing, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A few days later, red spots appear on their face and spread down their body. But here’s the tricky part – people can spread measles for up to three weeks, even before they know they’re sick.
“The church isn’t the reason that they’re not vaccinated,” explains Lara Anton from the Texas health department. “It’s all personal choice. It’s just that the community doesn’t go and get regular health care.”
This is Texas’s biggest measles outbreak in almost 30 years, far bigger than when 49 people got sick in 1996 or when 27 caught it in 2013 after someone brought it back from Asia.
The Texas Department of State Health Services is working hard to stop the outbreak. They’re helping local health departments, teaching school staff what to watch for, and trying to get more people vaccinated. But they warn more cases are likely coming.
Measles spreads so easily that about 95% of people need to be vaccinated to keep it from moving through a community. Right now, about 93% of U.S. school kids have their measles shots – not quite enough to stop outbreaks when the virus gets into groups where fewer people are protected.
If you think you might have measles, don’t go straight to the doctor’s office – call first. This helps keep other people from getting exposed while waiting to see the doctor.
The virus is showing just how quickly it can spread, even though the U.S. declared it eliminated in 2000. When vaccination rates drop, measles can still find its way back and move quickly through communities.
