The health authorities of the federal government of the United States have sent a group of specialists to Texas to assist in the containment response to the most severe measles outbreak in the southern part of the country in the last 30 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that several specialists from this agency will work alongside the Texas Department of Health to support the response to the outbreak, which has left at least one dead, a minor, and 159 infected.
At least 22 people have been hospitalized due to measles, which began spreading in West Texas in late January, according to the latest data from the state's Department of Health. The deceased minor was a school-age child and was unvaccinated, authorities indicated, adding that further infections are likely to continue being reported in the area due to the highly contagious nature of the disease.
The measles outbreak could last for months, according to Jennifer Shuford, head of the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, before the state legislature. The first cases of this outbreak occurred in Gaines County, which has a low vaccination rate. Since then, the disease has spread to at least nine contiguous counties.
In the 2023-2024 school year, 18 percent of preschool-aged children in the state of Texas were unvaccinated, according to CDC data. Individuals infected with measles may have been exposed through direct contact with others who have the disease and begin to show symptoms one or two weeks later.
The initial symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by the characteristic rash of flat red spots on the face, which spreads to the neck, trunk, and the rest of the body, according to the state's Department of Health Services (DSHS).
The measles outbreak occurs amid a resurgence of the anti-vaccine movement in state politics, with more than 20 bills currently under consideration to ease regulations on vaccines.
