In Lea County, near Gaines in Texas, nine cases of measles have been confirmed, a phenomenon that began with the spread of the disease a few weeks ago in the mentioned area of Texas. The New Mexico Department of Health warns about the high contagiousness of measles and the possibility of more cases appearing in Lea and nearby communities.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through infectious droplets present in the breath, cough, or sneezes of an infected person. Since the last update, 22 new cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to 124, of which 20 have required hospitalization, the majority being children aged between 5 and 17 years.
Gaines, located in western Texas near Lubbock, has become the epicenter of the outbreak with 67% of the confirmed cases. Of these, 98 correspond to patients for whom it has not been determined whether they were vaccinated against measles. The best way to prevent the disease is through vaccination, specifically with the MMR vaccine which includes protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.
The first death in the United States from measles since 2015 was recently recorded in a child from the outbreak area in Texas. To date, 146 cases have been reported in the state, distributed across several counties such as Delaman, Dawson, Ector, Gaines, Lubbock, Lynn, and Martin.
Measles is highly contagious and presents symptoms such as rashes, fever, cough, red eyes, among others, being transmissible before and after the appearance of symptoms. It can cause serious complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, deafness, disabilities, and even death, especially in vulnerable groups such as pregnant women. Efforts to control and prevent the outbreak continue in collaboration with local health authorities.
