CENTRAL TEXAS (KXXV) — Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico have reported new measles cases this week, marking the outbreak’s first spread into central Texas.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has already exceeded the number of measles cases recorded in 2024.
Outbreaks—defined as three or more cases—have been identified in New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio, and Oklahoma. Since February, measles-related complications have led to the deaths of two unvaccinated individuals.
Health experts had warned that the virus could gain a foothold in U.S. communities with low vaccination rates, potentially prolonging the outbreak for a year.
The World Health Organization reported last week that measles cases in Mexico are connected to the Texas outbreak.
The measles outbreak in Texas began two months ago. As of Tuesday, state health officials reported 22 new cases since Friday, bringing the total to 422 across 19 counties, with the majority in West Texas. Erath and Brown counties in central Texas recorded their first cases. Since the outbreak began, 42 individuals have been hospitalized.
