The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting an outbreak of measles in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of Texas.
As of April 22, 624 cases have been identified since late January. This is an increase of 27 since the April 18 update. Sixtyseven of the patients have been hospitalized. Less than 2%, or fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases are estimated to be actively infectious since their rash onset date was more than a week ago.
Individuals are infectious four days prior to and four days after rash onset.
There has been two fatality in a school-aged child 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. DSHS is working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak.
Based on the most recent data, DSHS has identified designated outbreak counties with ongoing measles transmission: Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum.
Cases by counties are as follows: Hockley County has five confirmed case; Cochran County has 12 confirmed cases; Lamb County has one confirmed case; Lubbock County has 47 confirmed cases; Yoakum County has 19 confirmed cases; Terry County has 47 confirmed cases; Garza County has two confirmed case; Hale County has five confirmed case;
Dallam County has seven confirmed cases; Lamar County has 11 confirmed cases; Dawson County has 23 confirmed cases; Ector County has 10 confirmed cases; Gaines County has 386 confirmed cases; Lynn County has two confirmed cases; Martin County has three confirmed cases;
Andrews County has two confirmed case; Bailey County has two confirmed cases: Brown County has one confirmed case; Erath County has one confirmed case; Midland County has three confirmed case; Parmer County has four confirmed cases; Potter County has one confirmed case; Borden County has one confirmed case; Randall County has one confirmed case; Reeves County has one confirmed case; and El Paso has 20 confirmed
cases.
Age ranges for the reported cases are as follows:
There are 186 cases are between zero and four-years-old; There are 236 cases are between five and 17-years-old; There are 178 cases are 18years-old or higher; and Twenty-four cases are pending.
Vaccination status of the confirmed cases shows 602 cases unvaccinated or unknown and 12 vaccinated with at least two doses and 10 are vaccinated with at least one dose.
The unvaccinated or unknown category includes people with no documented doses of measles vaccine more than 14 days before symptom onset.