U.S. measles cases topped 700 as of Friday, capping a week in which Indiana joined five other states with active outbreaks, Texas grew by another 60 cases and a third measles-related death was made public.
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By DEVI SHASTRI,\u00a0AP Health Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed in a televised Cabinet meeting Thursday that measles cases were plateauing nationally, but the virus continues to spread mostly in people who are unvaccinated and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention redeployed a team to West Texas.<\/p>\n The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024, and Texas is reporting the majority of them with 541. The multistate outbreak confirms health experts\u2019 fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year. The World Health Organization has said cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak. Texas\u2019 outbreak began in late January. State health officials said Friday there were 36 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to 541 across 22 counties \u2014 most of them in West Texas. A total of 56 Texans have been hospitalized throughout the outbreak. Kansas has 32 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday. Two of the counties, Finney and Ford, are new on the list and are major population centers in that part of the state. Haskell County has the most with eight cases, Stevens County has seven, Kiowa County has six, and the rest have five or fewer. Cases in Oklahoma increased by two Friday to 12 total: nine confirmed and three probable cases. The first two probable cases were \u201cassociated\u201d with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said. The Ohio Department of Health confirmed 20 measles cases in the state as of Thursday: 11 in Ashtabula County near Cleveland, seven in Knox County and one each in Allen and Holmes counties. Indiana confirmed six connected cases of measles in Allen County in the northeast part of the state \u2014 four are unvaccinated minors and two are adults whose vaccination status is unknown. Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington. The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. There\u2019s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<\/p>\n In communities with high vaccination rates \u2014 above 95% \u2014 diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called \u201cherd immunity.\u201d The ongoing measles outbreak in the U.S. is a stark reminder of the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. With cases surpassing 700 and outbreaks in six states, it is crucial for individuals to take necessary precautions and get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities.<\/p>\n US Measles Cases Surpass 700 with Outbreaks in Six States Introduction to the Outbreak U.S. measles cases topped 700 as of Friday, capping a week in which Indiana joined five other states with active outbreaks, Texas grew by another 60 cases and a third measles-related death was made public. By DEVI SHASTRI,\u00a0AP Health Writer Health […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12186","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.dailynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Measles-Outbreak-Death_59442.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all&w=1400&resize=1400,933&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12186"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12186"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12188,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12186\/revisions\/12188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Spread of the Virus<\/h2>\n
\nTexas\u2019 cases include two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children who died from measles-related illnesses near the epicenter of the outbreak in rural West Texas, which led Kennedy to visit the community Sunday. The third person who died was an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated.
\nOther states with active outbreaks \u2014 defined as three or more cases \u2014 include New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma.<\/p>\nMultistate Outbreak<\/h2>\n
\nMeasles is caused by a highly contagious virus that\u2019s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
\nHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, arrives at Reinlander Mennonite Church after a second measles death, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (AP Photo\/Annie Rice)<\/p>\nState-by-State Breakdown<\/h2>\n
Texas and New Mexico<\/h3>\n
\nOf the confirmed cases, state health officials estimated Friday that about 5% are actively infectious.
\nSixty-five percent of Texas\u2019 cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has logged 355 cases since late January \u2014 just over 1% of the county\u2019s residents.
\nLast week\u2019s death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Kennedy. Health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of \u201cwhat the child\u2019s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.\u201d A child died of measles in Texas in late February \u2014 Kennedy said age 6.
\nNew Mexico announced two new cases Friday, bringing the state\u2019s total to 58. State health officials say the cases are linked to Texas\u2019 outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, two are in Eddy County and one is in Chaves County.
\nNew Mexico reported its first measles-related death in an adult on March 6.<\/p>\nKansas<\/h3>\n
\nThe state\u2019s first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.<\/p>\nOklahoma<\/h3>\n
\nA state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Tulsa and Rogers counties, but wouldn\u2019t say which counties had cases.<\/p>\nOhio<\/h3>\n
\nOhio is not including nonresidents in its count, a state health department spokesperson told The Associated Press. The Knox County outbreak in east-central Ohio has infected a total 14 people, according to a news release from the county health department, but seven of them do not live in Ohio. In 2022, a measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85.
\nThe outbreak in Ashtabula County started with an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.<\/p>\nIndiana<\/h3>\n
\nThe cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health said Wednesday. The first case was confirmed Monday.<\/p>\nOther Affected Areas<\/h2>\n
\nThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The agency counted seven clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025 as of Friday.<\/p>\nPrevention and Treatment<\/h2>\n
Do You Need an MMR Booster?<\/h3>\n
\nPeople at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.<\/p>\nSymptoms of Measles<\/h3>\n
\nThe rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.<\/p>\nTreating Measles<\/h3>\n
Importance of Vaccination<\/h2>\n
\nBut childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
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\nMeasles is a highly contagious viral disease that causes fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash.<\/li>\n
\nMeasles is spread through the air when an infected person breathes, sneezes, or coughs.<\/li>\n
\nYes, measles can be prevented through vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.<\/li>\n
\nSymptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash.<\/li>\n
\nYou can protect yourself from measles by getting vaccinated with the MMR vaccine and practicing good hygiene, such as washing your hands frequently and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"