In the United State, nearly 160 measles cases have been reported in Texas, the second largest state in the country. State health officials have warned the outbreak could last for months.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, a dozen measles cases were diagnosed in Texas over the weekend, bringing the state’s total to 158. The commissioner of the State Health Department, Dr Jennifer Shuford, during a hearing with the public health committee in Austin yesterday said, the cases stretch across nine counties and expect more to occur in this outbreak.
The report said, all cases are in unvaccinated people or those who have unknown vaccination status with most cases surfacing among children between 5 to 17 years old. Texas reported the first US death of school-aged unvaccinated child from the ongoing measles outbreak on 26th February.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness, which can cause life-threatening illness to anyone who is not protected against the virus.
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