HyTech Seas: From the Ocean, For the Ocean

With the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) confirmed two measles cases on March 11. The Oklahoma cases both reported exposure associated with the Texas and New Mexico outbreak. “These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors,” said Kendra Dougherty, OSDH director of infectious disease prevention and response. “When people know they have exposure risk and do not have immunity to measles, they can exclude themselves from public settings for the recommended duration to eliminate the risk of transmission in their community.” Additionally, on Tuesday, New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reported the case count for measles has risen to 33, including a new case in Eddy County, the first outside of Lea County. CNN reported NMDOH now considers the state’s outbreak to be connected to the one in West Texas as the measles strain is linked genetically. Most of the New Mexico measles cases involve unvaccinated residents. State health officials said this is not a rapidly expanding outbreak, but a situation where cases have been occurring steadily over time. To date, one of the cases has required hospitalization. “Any measles diagnosis is a concern, and we are watching every case closely,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, NMDOH Chief Medical Officer. “We are heartened by the number of New Mexicans getting vaccinated in response to this outbreak.” Since Feb. 1, nearly 9,000 New Mexicans have received the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine— as compared to 5,342 MMR vaccinations in the same period last year, NMDOH reported. Also on Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported 223 cases have been identified since late January in nine West Texas counties. Twenty-nine of the patients have been hospitalized in the state, and one unvaccinated school-aged child with no underlying conditions died on Feb. 26. The most Texas cases are reported in Gaines County, where the outbreak was first identified. Cases have reached 156 in the county, which also had the third highest vaccine exemption rate in Texas last year, as CMM previously reported. Even with climbing case counts, experts believe these numbers are a severe undercount, CNN reported. With the latest total of 258 cases from the West Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma outbreak, measles cases for this year are already approaching last year’s total of 285 cases in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, on Tuesday the New York State Department of Health confirmed its first case of measles in outside of New York City in 2025, the third case in the state this year. The case was identified in a patient less than 5 years of age who resides in Suffolk County and was confirmed at the Department's Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany. The child is hospitalized. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has been notified of the first case of measles diagnosed in 2025 in a Los Angeles County resident who recently traveled through Los Angeles International Airport. “With measles outbreaks happening both in the United States and internationally, this recent case in our county highlights how important it is for anyone who has not been immunized to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County health officer. “Measles spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, and a person infected with measles can pass it on to others before they feel sick or have symptoms. Young children and those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for life-threatening complications from infection. Getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and stop the spread of this dangerous disease.”

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HyTech Seas: From the Ocean, For the Ocean

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