Texas measles outbreak officially surpasses 100 cases, mostly among unvaccinated children
Editor's note: This file captures the news of measles cases in the U.S. as of Tuesday, February 25, 2025. For the latest updates on measles in the U.S., follow Paste BN's coverage for Friday, March 7.
The number of measles cases in Texas has officially surpassed the 100 mark as of Tuesday as health officials continue to grapple with the growing outbreak.
At least three states besides Texas, including New Mexico, Georgia and New Jersey, also have reported three or more cases. And, with the CDC only updating its numbers monthly, the task of tracking the spread has fallen largely to individual states.
In its latest update on Feb. 21, the CDC said cases were reported in eight states.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said Tuesday that confirmed infections were up to 124, a large uptick from Friday's reported 90. Of those, 18 resulted in hospitalization. All but five cases are in unvaccinated people or people with unknown vaccination status, and the majority (101 cases) are in children under the age of 18.
Gaines County, located in West Texas, continues to lead the pack, accounting for 80 of the total infections. Terry County had the second-highest number at 21. The center of the outbreak is believed by health officials to have stemmed from the small, tight-knit Mennonite community in Gaines County.
See map of states with measles cases
What is measles and how do you get it?
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily, and most severely, affects children. According to the World Health Organization, it infects the respiratory tract before spreading throughout the body.
The virus is highly contagious; so contagious, in fact, that 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed end up contracting it. Additionally, one in five of those people end up hospitalized, according to the CDC.
Measles is spread through contact with infected nasal or throat secretions, according to the WHO. It is airborne and most commonly spread through actions like coughing, sneezing or breathing. The measles virus can remain contagious in the air or on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours.
What are the symptoms of measles?
According to the CDC, measles symptoms appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Measles rash appears three to five days after the onset of the first symptoms.
Other signs and symptoms of measles include:
- When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees
- High fever
- Cough
- Runny nose and sneezing
- Red, watery eyes
- Loss of appetite, diarrhea
- Reddish-brown rash that can spread across the entire body
- Koplik spots, tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin
- Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots (the spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body)
Contributing: Janet Loehrke, Paste BN