Texas health officials confirm new measles cases in Gaines County, Terry counties
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed 24 total cases of measles in Gaines County and a new case in Terry County on Tuesday.
Brownfield ISD took to social media to confirm that DSHS has confirmed one case of measles in Terry County, stating that "it is likely to spread."
More: Lynn County confirms measles case in ER, third West Texas case in week
This comes a week after Lynn County confirmed its first case and two weeks after Gaines reported its first two cases in the County.
According to DSHS, the 24 total cases in Gaines County have confirmed with symptom onset within the last two weeks and noted that nine of the patients have been hospitalized.
The following breakdown of the case count is as follows:
- 0 to 4 year olds: 6 cases.
- 5 to 17 year olds: 16 cases.
- 18 years and older: 2 cases.
Both DSHS and BISD urged individuals to consider getting vaccinated with the MMR vaccine.
Dig Deeper: What is measles? What you need to know about Texas cases, symptoms and vaccine
What are the symptoms of measles?
According to Boston Children's Hospital, the symptoms of measles are as follows:
- Hacking cough.
- Redness and irritation of the eyes.
- Fever.
- Small red spots with white centers that appear on the inside of the cheek — these usually occur two days before the rash on the skin appears.
- A rash described as deep, red, and flat, starting on the face and spreading down to the trunk, arms and legs; this rash usually begins as small, distinct lesions, which then combine as one big rash.
- Koplick spots — white spots in the mouth
- Runny nose.
- Sore throat.
- Red eyes.
- Cough.
- Body aches.
According to the hospital, it takes between eight and 12 days for children to develop symptoms of measles, but it can be one to two days before the onset of symptoms and three to five days after the rash develops.
How do you contract measles?
The Mayo Clinic states that healthy people can get the virus whenever an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and infectious droplets spray into the air, where other people can breathe them in.
The infected droplets can also survive on surfaces for several hours, and healthy people can contract it when touching an infected surface then putting their fingers in their mouth or nose or rubbing their eyes.
"About 90% of people who haven't had measles or been vaccinated against measles will become infected when exposed to someone with the measles virus," the clinic reports.