Other affected counties in Texas include Dawson (6 cases). Ector (1); Lubbock (1); Lynn (1); Terry (20); yoakum (4).
In Texas, the majority of cases continue to be found in children. 26 are infants and young children between 0 and 4 years old, while 51 is between 5 and 17 years old. 16 people (approximately 18%) have been hospitalized.
In New Mexico, there are no hospitalizations, with five of the nine cases becoming adults. The other four cases ranged between 5 and 17 years of age.
Given the low vaccination rates in the region and the contagious nature of measles, health officials expect the outbreak to continue to grow. Measles is one of the most infectious viruses known. 90% of people who are vaccinated or exposed will get sick. The disease is marked by a high fever and an obvious rash, which can cause severe complications in some people, including younger children.
In the United States, approximately 20% of people with measles are usually hospitalized. Five percent develop pneumonia, with up to 3 deaths in every 1,000 people from infection. In rare cases, measles can cause a fatal disease of the central nervous system, known as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Measles also wipes out immune responses to other infectious diseases (a phenomenon known as immune amnesia), making people vulnerable to a variety of diseases.
