Number Of Measles Cases Linked To West Texas Outbreak Grows To 58

CNN (2/18, Mukherjee) reports, “The number of measles cases linked to an outbreak in West Texas has grown to 58, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.” The majority “of the cases are centered in Gaines County, which is reporting 45 cases.” Other surrounding regions “are seeing spread of the illness too, with 9 cases in Terry County, two in Yoakum County, one in Lynn County and one in Lubbock County.” The measles “cases are mostly in children ages 5 to 17.” Even though “most of the cases are in unvaccinated people or those whose vaccination status is unknown, there were four cases of measles in people who were vaccinated.” The AP (2/18, Shastri, Lee) reports “eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed with measles.” On Tuesday, “New Mexico health department spokesman Robert Nott said...that the agency hadn’t ‘identified any direct contact’ between cases in its state and cases in Texas.”