WACO, Texas — The measles has hit Texas with over 100 cases reported and one death. Dr. Cessley Marsellus with Baylor Scott and White talks on what to look for to keep you and your family safe.
- The measles is caused by the rubiola virus and it causes a very serious infection with symptoms such as fever, respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat and runny nose
- Dr. Marsellus says the best line of defense is to get the vaccine
- As of now, 124 cases have been reported and one has died
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It’s a rare infection that’s hit the Lone Star State: measles.
“It’s caused by the rubiola virus and it causes a very serious infection with symptoms such as fever, respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, runny nose, but you can get a very significant rash that can start on the face and work its way down to the body,” Dr. Cessley Marsellus of Baylor Scott and White said.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, since January, 124 cases have been reported across nine counties with 18 hospitalizations.
25 News spoke with Dr. Cessley Marsellus with Baylor Scott and White on why we’re seeing the largest outbreak in nearly 30 years.
“Unfortunately, there are some areas in Texas where the immunization rates against measles is very low, so that’s the setup for a measles outbreak,” Dr. Marsellus said.
She says the best line of defense for this is getting vaccinated.
“It prevents infection, about 97 percent who have two doses, it can prevent the infection but it can also most importantly as well prevent the spread to others,” Dr. Marsellus said.
This hasn’t hit Central Texas yet, however, if you think you’ve been exposed, here’s what to do —
“Reach out to the healthcare provider by phone to let them know the situation, and they will guide you as to what to do, because the most important thing is some people might not know that they’re contagious at that point if they know they’ve been exposed, so you don’t want to have it and spread it to others,” Dr. Marsellus said
