Americas

Americas

Two dead, nearly 230 sickened in US measles outbreak

08 March 2025 12:54 (UTC +04:00)

As of Friday, Texas had reported 198 cases and New Mexico 30, bringing the total to 228, APA reports citing Channels TV.

Each state confirmed one death, and both were unvaccinated. The Texas patient was a child while the New Mexico patient was an adult who tested positive for measles after death.

Although the official cause of the adult’s death has not been released by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified it as a measles-related fatality.

“More cases are expected as this outbreak continues to expand rapidly,” the CDC warned in a Health Alert Network advisory to healthcare workers, public health officials, and potential travellers.

“With spring and summer travel season approaching in the United States, CDC emphasizes the important role that clinicians and public health officials play in preventing the spread of measles,” the agency said.

“They should be vigilant for cases of febrile rash illness that meet the measles case definition and share effective measles prevention strategies, including vaccination guidance for international travellers.”

Measles is highly contagious, spreading through respiratory droplets and lingering in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. The disease causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and a rash — but can also lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and death.

Vaccination remains the best protection. The measles vaccine, required for children 12 months and older, confers 93 per cent lifetime immunity after one dose, rising to 97 per cent after two.