May 13, 2025, Texas
The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting an outbreak of measles primarily in West Texas.
- At this time, 717 cases have been confirmed since late January. This is an increase of 8 since the May 9 update.
- Less than one percent, or fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases, are estimated to be actively infectious since their rash onset date was less than a week ago.
- Individuals are infectious four days prior to and four days after rash onset.
Ninety-three of the patients have been hospitalized. This number is the total number of people hospitalized over the course of the outbreak. It is not the current number of people in the hospital.
There have been two fatalities in school-aged children who lived in the outbreak area. The children were not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions.
Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities.
Based on the most recent data, DSHS has identified designated outbreak counties with ongoing measles transmission: Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum. Garza and Lynn counties have been removed from the list of designated outbreak counties because it has been 42 days, or two incubation periods, since the last case was infectious.
DSHS is working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak.