The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported that the official measles case count nationwide is 378.
The majority of the cases are in Texas, where the initial U.S. outbreak was discovered. Two cases were reported there in late January. Those were identified in Gaines County, about 70 miles southwest of Lubbock.
Texas Health and Human Services officials said all but two of the 309 identified measles cases in the state so far involved residents who were not vaccinated, or their vaccination status could not be confirmed. More than half are 17 years old or younger.
One child in Texas has died from contracting the dangerous virus. State health officials confirmed that the child had not been vaccinated. There is one other potential measles death in the U.S. That is in New Mexico, but it has not yet been confirmed by that state as an official measles-related death.
The CDC said 18 states have confirmed cases, stretching from Vermont to Alaska; 75% of the cases nationwide involve residents 19 and younger. The CDC said 95% of cases nationwide involve people who have not been vaccinated. Sixty-four of the people who have contracted the measles virus have required hospitalization.
The CDC warned that measles, or rubeola, is highly contagious, and when someone contracts the virus, 9 out of 10 people they come in contact with will also contract the virus if they are not vaccinated.
Jim Mishler ✉
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