Second School-age Child Dies of Measles in Texas

On Sunday, the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) reported the second measles death of a Texas resident in the ongoing outbreak that has spread to 19 counties in the state. The school-aged child who tested positive for measles was hospitalized in Lubbock and passed away on Thursday from what the child’s doctors described as measles pulmonary failure. The child was not vaccinated and had no reported underlying conditions.

As of April 4, 481 cases of measles have been confirmed in the outbreak since late January, TDSHS said. Most of the cases are in children. Fifty-six people have been hospitalized over the course of the outbreak. While Lubbock County holds about 7% of reported cases, Gaines County, Texas, has nearly 66% of confirmed cases, the most in the state. Gaines County also has the third highest vaccination exemption rate in the state.

The first unvaccinated school-aged child with no underlying conditions died of measles complications on Feb. 26 in Texas. Almost all the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness, which can cause life-threatening illness to anyone who is not protected against the virus. During a measles outbreak, about one in five children who get sick will need hospital care and one in 20 will develop pneumonia, TDSHS said. Rarely, measles can lead to swelling of the brain and death. It can also cause pregnancy complications, such as premature birth and babies with low birth weight.

Meanwhile, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reported the state’s case count for measles has risen to 54. While most cases remain in Lea County, the outbreak spread to Eddy County, which has reported two cases. As of April 4, two Lea County residents have required hospitalization. NMDOH recorded the death of one unvaccinated Lea County resident on March 6, the second in the outbreak.

Measles cases in Oklahoma remained at 10 as of April 4, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). All cases are linked through exposures to household or extended family; and initial cases reported exposure to the measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico, OSDH said.

As of April 2, Kansas Department of Health and Environment also has confirmed 24 measles cases in six counties. Kansas reported its first measles case on March 13.

On March 31, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated adult residing in Pueblo, Colorado. This marked Colorado’s first measle case of the year. The Colorado individual recently traveled to an area of Mexico experiencing an ongoing measles outbreak.

As of April 3, a total of 607 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC is aware of probable measles cases still being reported, and the case count is higher.) This year’s cases are well above last year’s total of 285 measles cases, and the highest number of cases since 2019.

Measles cases have been reported by 21 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.

Outside the multistate Texas outbreak, Ohio has the highest reported number of cases with 10. Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced a measles outbreak in Ashtabula County and one confirmed case of a visitor in Knox County who exposed others to measles in Knox and nearby counties. Ashtabula County has identified 10 measles cases. Nine are linked to an adult male reported on March 20 as the state’s first measles case of 2025. None of the individuals were vaccinated.

“Given the measles activity in Texas, New Mexico, and other states around the country, we’re disappointed but not surprised we now have several cases here in Ohio and known exposure in some counties,” said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH director. “This disease can be very serious, even deadly, but it is almost entirely avoidable by being properly vaccinated. Measles is especially dangerous for young children, so I strongly urge all parents across Ohio to make sure your children are vaccinated. It is a crucial layer of protection that can save lives.”

Ohio had 90 cases of measles in 2022, when an outbreak in central Ohio totaled 85 cases. The state had one measles case in 2023 and seven in 2024.