United States: The unfolding measles outbreak in West Texas has now been epidemiologically linked to cases emerging in New Mexico, with additional infections surfacing in Oklahoma, state officials reported on Tuesday. This burgeoning crisis has swelled to a cumulative total of 258 confirmed infections spanning across the three states.
The Texas Department of Health Services, in its latest Tuesday update, disclosed a sharp uptick in cases, bringing the state’s tally to 223—an escalation of 25 newly confirmed infections since the prior report on Friday, according to reports by CNN.
Simultaneously, New Mexico’s Department of Health announced an increase in its caseload, now reporting 33 confirmed measles cases—three more than the previous week. Authorities in New Mexico have officially classified this outbreak as regionally interconnected with the situation unfolding in West Texas, attributing the linkage to genomic sequencing of the viral strain.
"The recent measles outbreak in West Texas has reached 159 cases, with 22 hospitalizations and the tragic death of an unvaccinated child."
— Eliel Oliveira (@elielco) March 12, 2025
This shows the importance of #vaccination in preventing such outbreaks. https://t.co/a5hW1JBR15
“This is a contiguous regional outbreak of measles, verified through both geographical tracing and genomic analysis,” stated Robert Nott, communications director for New Mexico’s Department of Health.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma has confirmed two cases of measles within its borders, with state health officials indicating that the individuals in question had exposure ties to the outbreak spanning Texas and New Mexico.
Despite the documented surge in infections, epidemiologists caution that these figures likely represent a severe underestimation of the true case count.
“The critical issue arises when the virus infiltrates communities with suboptimal immunization coverage,” explained Dr. Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth Houston. “The trajectory of the outbreak is contingent upon the movement of infected individuals—where they travel, who they encounter, and the prevailing vaccination rates within those populations,” as per the reports by CNN.
Measles, a highly transmissible airborne pathogen, possesses the alarming ability to persist in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected individual has exited an environment. Compounding the challenge, its prolonged incubation period renders contact tracing and exposure identification exceedingly complex, Dr. Troisi noted.
In Texas alone, hospitalization figures have climbed to 29, an increase of six admissions since the prior reporting period. The outbreak has now permeated nine counties, with Gaines County remaining the epicenter, accounting for 156 of the reported cases.
A vast majority of those infected were either unvaccinated or of unknown immunization status, though five cases have been identified in individuals who reported having received at least one dose of the measles vaccine.
Last month, Texas health authorities confirmed the outbreak’s first fatality—a school-aged child who was unvaccinated and had no preexisting health conditions.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has deployed personnel to Texas to assist in containment efforts.
“They are providing strategic advisement to our medical professionals and epidemiologists,” stated Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health. “As this outbreak progresses, we are encountering increasingly intricate exposure scenarios, and their expertise is proving invaluable.”
In New Mexico, Lea County has emerged as the focal point of concern, with 32 cases identified. Additionally, a new infection has been reported in Eddy County. Of those affected in the state, 27 individuals were unvaccinated, five had an undetermined vaccination history, and one person reported receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, according to CNN.
“Given the highly infectious nature of measles, additional cases are almost inevitable in Lea County and surrounding regions,” the New Mexico Department of Health cautioned in its latest advisory.
New Mexico health officials are also investigating the cause of death of an unvaccinated individual who tested positive for measles. The deceased, a resident of Lea County, had not sought medical attention prior to their passing.
Both Texas and New Mexico are slated to provide updated case counts on Friday.
With current figures already nearing last year’s nationwide total of 285 cases, public health experts warn that the outbreak shows no signs of abating, as per the reports by CNN.
“This virus will continue its spread well into mid-May,” projected Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “At this trajectory, we are on track to surpass last year’s case count by a significant margin.”