Measles Exposure Warning Issued To Texas Residents
February 24, 2025
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A warning has been issued for three Texas cities after someone with measles visited them while contagious.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DHSH) shared the warning on Monday “so unvaccinated people may monitor themselves for symptoms and seek testing if symptoms occur.”
Newsweek has contacted the Texas DSHS, via email, for comment.
Why It Matters
Measles, an airborne disease, is an extremely infectious illness that can be especially dangerous for infants, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, with the potential to cause serious and even deadly complications.
It can spread rapidly in communities with low vaccination rates, and initially results in symptoms including a high fever, a cough, a runny nose, and red or watery eyes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What To Know
A total of 90 cases have been identified in the South Plains region of Texas since late January, according to the Texas DHSH.
The majority are children, with 51 cases affecting kids between the ages of five and 17, 26 cases infecting those between 0 and four, 10 over the age of 18 and three pending.
Most cases are in Gaines County (57), followed by Terry County (20), Dawson County (six), Yoakum County (four) and Ector, Lubbock and Lynn Counties (all one).
But “a person from the outbreak area who was later diagnosed with measles” visited places in San Marcos and San Antonio on February 14 and 15, the Texas DHSH said.
They were contagious when they went to Texas State University between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on February 14.
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. AP
This was also the case when they went to the University of Texas at San Antonio Main Campus, between the ages of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and Ripley’s Illusion Lab, San Antonio, between 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on February 15, as well as Mr. Crabby’s Seafood, Live Oak, between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
The third venue on the warning is Buc-ee’s, New Braunfels, which was at risk of exposure between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
What People Are Saying
Texas DHSH said: “The measles virus can survive in the air for up to two hours, so the times listed include two hours after the individual left that location. Because measles symptoms can begin 7 to 21 days after exposure, DSHS is sharing this information with health care providers and the public in the area so unvaccinated people may monitor themselves for symptoms and seek testing if symptoms occur.”
The South Plains Public Health District’s Dr. Jamie Felberg said previously: “Measles is a serious yet preventable disease. Staying up to date on vaccinations is the most effective way to safeguard yourself, your loved ones, and the community from this highly contagious illness. With these recent cases, it’s more important than ever to ensure your immunizations are current.”
Vaccination Rates
Most of the cases have been in a “close-knit, under-vaccinated” Mennonite community, health department spokesperson Lara Anton said.
“The church isn’t the reason that they’re not vaccinated,” she added. “It’s all personal choice and you can do whatever you want. It’s just that the community doesn’t go and get regular healthcare.”
“If there’s a room full of 10 unvaccinated individuals, nine of them will contract measles.”
Gaines County has a low measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rate, with 82 percent of kindergartners in its public schools up to date with their vaccines for the 2023-24 school year, according to state data.
This is lower than the 95 percent vaccination rate required for herd immunity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and makes Gaines County one of the 10 with the lowest vaccine coverage in the state.
The county has an 18 percent vaccine exemption rate, which “allows for an exemption from immunizations for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief.”
What Happens Next
The Texas DHSH has told healthcare providers to consider measles in patients presenting with specific patients.
“The best defense against getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles such as MMR vaccine,” the department said.
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