Nearly 230 measles cases have been identified in outbreaks in West Texas and a nearby New Mexico county.
One hundred ninety-eight measles cases have been reported in the West Texas outbreak, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in an update Friday — 39 more confirmed cases since an update on Tuesday.
In a separate update on Friday, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 30 measles cases in Lea County, New Mexico — 20 more cases than had previously been identified in the state.
Health officials in both states said cases are expected to increase due to the highly contagious nature of measles.
In Texas, 23 patients have been hospitalized, one more than previously reported. Sixty-four cases are among people ages 0 to 4 and 89 are among people ages 5 to 17. Cases have been identified in nine counties, but the majority, 137, are in Gaines County, where the outbreak was first identified.
Last month, Texas announced the outbreak’s first death – a school-aged child who was not vaccinated, had no underlying conditions and had been hospitalized.
Among the cases in New Mexico, 11 are in children 17 or younger, 15 are in people age 18 and older and four cases are pending.
Health officials in New Mexico said Thursday they are investigating the cause of death of an unvaccinated person who tested positive for measles. The Lea County resident had not sought out health care.
Lea County borders Gaines County, but health officials said they have not yet confirmed a link between the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.
