New Mexico Reports Measle Outbreak in Detention Facility

On June 26, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced it is investigating measles infections at the Luna County Detention Center in Deming after five detainees tested positive for measles.

“The cases at Luna County Detention Center are a stark reminder that the measles outbreak in New Mexico is not over,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, a NMDOH medical epidemiologist. “We urge everyone in New Mexico, especially Luna County residents, to ensure that they are fully vaccinated against measles.”

NMDOH is providing personal protection equipment, test kits, and measles vaccines to the detention center, which houses about 400 people and employs about 100 staff members. NMDOH is also checking the vaccination status of the inmates and staff at the facility.

The news was not unexpected as a wastewater sample taken in Deming on June 10 tested positive for measles based on NMDOH analysis. The health agency has been conducting wastewater testing in 11 treatment facilities around the state since mid-March. While the testing does not confirm the timing, location, or number of people infected with measles, it can serve as an early warning system that the measles virus is likely active in the area. 

Since February, NMDOH has reported 86 measles cases and one death from measles in eight counties. From Feb. 1 to June 26, 38,461 New Mexicans have received a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, amounting to a 95% difference in the total MMR does administered in New Mexico in 2025 versus the same time in last year.

As of June 24, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 1,227 measles cases in 36 states with active outbreaks in a dozen states. Last week, though, for the first time since January, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported no new cases, but still designated Gaines and Lamar Counties with ongoing measles transmission. Texas has confirmed 750 cases associated with a West Texas outbreak since late January, and the state has confirmed another 34 cases not connected to the outbreak this year.