The Texas measles outbreak that began in Gaines County has grown to 683 cases, officials said on Friday.
Ten of the impacted counties have “ongoing measles transmission,” although the state public health department estimates there are currently fewer than 10 confirmed cases that are still infectious.
The Texas Department of State Health Services updated the outbreak numbers in a Friday report. The update includes 20 new measles cases since Tuesday.
The report focuses on cases that are connected to the large outbreak that began in January near the New Mexico border. Texas health officials have also reported unrelated measles cases this year.
There have been four measles cases reported in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year: one in Collin County, one in Denton County and two in Rockwall County. State authorities have not officially tied any of those cases to the outbreak that began in Gaines County, and all four appear in the state public health department’s list of “other 2025″ cases.
Lara Anton, spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said in a Friday email that the Denton County case is “still under investigation.” That case was reported publicly on Wednesday.
In the outbreak, Texas has reported a total of 89 hospitalizations. Two Texas children have also died, both of them school-aged and unvaccinated.
Texas’ case count does not include additional cases from the same outbreak that have been reported in other states.
As of Friday, New Mexico had reported 67 cases and Oklahoma had reported 15.
Across the three states, there have been a total of 765 reported cases in the ongoing outbreak.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 due to widespread vaccination. Since then, there have still been cases and outbreaks in communities with low vaccination rates.
Large outbreaks such as the one that began in Gaines County, however, pose a threat to the country’s elimination status.
Vaccination is the best way to stem the spread of measles. The two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles infection. It’s also safe, and recommended for nearly everyone beginning at 12 months of age.
People who are pregnant or immunocompromised are advised not to take the vaccine.