Texas measles outbreak sees slight increase in cases, hospitalizations

DALLAS — After hitting last week’s milestone of no new cases, the Texas measles outbreak has increased again.

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Tuesday reported there have been 744 cases since the outbreak began in late January, an increase of two cases since the department’s previous update June 6.

Fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases are considered actively infectious. Counties with ongoing measles transmission include Gaines, Dawson, Lamar and Lubbock.

There was also a small increase Tuesday in total hospitalizations, from 94 to 96.

Gaines County, where the outbreak originated, still leads the state at 411 measles cases. There have also been 33 confirmed cases not affiliated with the outbreak, including four in Tarrant County, three in Collin County and two in Denton County.

On Thursday, Dallas County reported its first measles case since 2019. It was not immediately clear if it was linked to the outbreak, but county health officials said the patient, a woman in her 20s, had not reported any recent travel.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can spread rapidly among unvaccinated people.

The two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles. The vaccine is recommended for nearly everyone, beginning at about 12 months of age, with the exception of people who are pregnant or immunocompromised.