As measles outbreak nears 600 cases, fears grow about spread in day cares and urban areas

A measles outbreak spanning multiple states is nearing 600 cases, and experts say it might just be the beginning.

A measles outbreak spanning multiple states is nearing 600 cases, and experts say it might just be the beginning. As of Tuesday, Texas has reported 505 cases associated with the outbreak, New Mexico has reported 56 cases, and Oklahoma has reported 10: eight confirmed and two probable. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may also be linked to the outbreak, reached 24 last week. The outbreak began in rural Gaines County, Texas, where most of the cases are concentrated, but Tuesday’s update shows spread into 21 Texas counties. Local officials are particularly worried about spread of the measles virus into new areas and vulnerable populations, such as urban centers. “I’m worried about exposures in grocery stores, malls and those types of places that don’t exist as much out in the rural community,” Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, said Tuesday. “You have a much bigger population, so one case can be exposing a lot more individuals.” In these areas, public health workers will need to do more to figure out who is at risk, who is exposed and who needs to isolate, she said. Some local health departments have said that recent cuts to funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hinder their epidemiology work and lab capacity for identifying measles cases.