Nearly 230 measles cases reported in outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico
CNN
Nearly 230 measles cases have been identified in outbreaks in West Texas and a nearby New Mexico county.
Nearly 230 measles cases have been identified in outbreaks in West Texas and a nearby New Mexico county. One hundred ninety-eight measles cases have been reported in the West Texas outbreak, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in an update Friday — 39 more confirmed cases since an update on Tuesday. In a separate update on Friday, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 30 measles cases in Lea County, New Mexico — 20 more cases than had previously been identified in the state. Health officials in both states said cases are expected to increase due to the highly contagious nature of measles. In Texas, 23 patients have been hospitalized, one more than previously reported. Sixty-four cases are among people ages 0 to 4 and 89 are among people ages 5 to 17. Cases have been identified in nine counties, but the majority, 137, are in Gaines County, where the outbreak was first identified. Last month, Texas announced the outbreak’s first death – a school-aged child who was not vaccinated, had no underlying conditions and had been hospitalized.
