Cases at 90. See map of affected states

The measles outbreak rapidly spreading across West Texas has grown, bringing the total number of cases up to 90 as of Friday afternoon, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In its last update given on Tuesday, the Texas DSHS reported 58 confirmed cases, mostly in unvaccinated children. In just a matter of days, that number expanded by 32, with the majority of cases (57) still concentrated in Gaines County.

Terry County has the next highest number of cases (20); other counties totals include Dawson (six), Yoakum (four), Ector, Lubbock and Lynn (one each).

As before, most infections (77) have occurred in children under the age of 18. Ten occurred in people over 18 and three additional cases are still being categorized. Of all the sick people, only five were vaccinated, with the rest being unvaccinated or of unknown vaccine status, and 16 have been hospitalized.

“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities,” the DSHS said. In the notice issued Friday, the agency also encouraged Texas residents to ensure they are up-to-date with immunizations.

Six other states including Alaska, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Island have also reported measles infections. Three of those states, New Mexico (9 cases), Georgia (3 cases) and New Jersey (3 cases), officially met “outbreak” criteria, defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as three or more related cases of illness, as of Friday.

See measles in numbers:Measles cases are on the rise, mostly among unvaccinated people. Know the symptoms

Table of Contents

See map of states with measles cases

Texas measles outbreak up to 58:Which states have reported measles cases in 2025? See map

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 (WHO), 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 WHO. It is most commonly spread when someone inhales the airborne virus from an infected person’s coughing or sneezing. The measles virus can remain contagious in the air or on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours.

What is the measles vaccine and when do you usually get it?

Measles was previously eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, meaning it was absent from the states for a period of longer than 12 months.

The last major occurrence of measles in the U.S. occurred six years ago when 22 outbreaks led to 1,249 cases from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1. According to the CDC, the 2019 outbreak was the highest in a single year since 1992.

In the U.S., the measles vaccine is usually given not alone but in combination with the mumps and rubella vaccines, called the MMR vaccines. Typically, children receive MMR vaccines as part of the regular course between the ages of 12 and 15 months for the first dose and ages 4 to 6 for the second. The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella and is 97% effective at preventing measles when both doses are given.

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 Fahrenheit
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)

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