The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports there are now 1,000 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. The nationwide caseload is steadily rising with no end in sight.
Thirty-one states are handling the verified cases, and more suspected cases are being reviewed that have not yet been confirmed.
At least three deaths are attributed to the virus, which is considered by the CDC to be "highly contagious."
Texas is by far the state dealing with the largest number of cases, now at 709, with six more added to the Texas list over just the last three days. Texas Health and Human Services medical technicians report ongoing outbreaks in eight counties in the state.
Of the three deaths attributed to measles nationwide, two involved school-aged children in Texas. The state reported that neither had been vaccinated, nor did they have any other notable health issues before contracting the virus.
Most of the measles cases in Texas have been discovered in the area known as the South Plains, on the west side of the state, south of the Texas Panhandle region.
The Texas Tribune reported that the outbreak got a foothold in a group of Mennonite communities in that area where vaccination rates are low, and as a result, those communities "have been disproportionately affected."
The CDC says vaccination is the best course of prevention against the measles virus, which is sometimes also referred to as Rubeola.