More than 20 years ago, measles was deemed eradicated in the US. Now, the illness is making a comeback, with nearly 100 cases logged across two states. Per a Friday release from the Texas Department of State Health Services, 90 measles cases have been identified in the state's South Plains region, with 16 hospitalizations. Five of the affected patients were vaccinated; the rest "are unvaccinated, or their vaccination status is unknown," the release notes, adding, "Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities."
The Washington Post notes the majority of the cases involve kids under 17; one infected baby in Ector County was too young to be vaccinated, reports the Odessa American. State health officials say the state's largest outbreak in three decades appears to be mostly tied to a "close-knit, undervaccinated" Mennonite community, per the AP. Meanwhile, in New Mexico's Lea County, an additional nine cases have been recorded. Patients in that area may have been exposed in various locations, including at a school, church, and grocery store, according to public health officials.
As of late last week, public health officials in New Mexico said there was no definitive link between the two states' outbreaks. Symptoms of the sometimes fatal sickness, which has no treatment or cure, initially include a high fever, fatigue, cough, and a runny nose, followed by a red, blotchy rash that lasts about a week, per the Cleveland Clinic. Complications can include pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death. It was announced in 2000 that measles in the United States had been "eliminated," per the CDC, which means "the absence of the continuous spread of disease was greater than 12 months."
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The agency notes this eradication came about "thanks to a highly effective vaccination program in the United States, as well as better measles control in the Americas region." But the Post notes that vaccination levels started dipping during the COVID pandemic, and that even a modest decline in those levels in a community can increase the risk of an outbreak. Ex-FDA chief Scott Gottlieb said he felt "very concerned" on Sunday about the measles resurgence, per the Hill. He added on Face the Nation that "there's probably many more" cases than the 100 or so that have been reported, and that it "will spread." (More measles stories.)
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