A measles blast in Texas has affected 762 people, according to a news from the Texas Department of Health Services on Monday. The agency said it has been more than 42 days since any county reported new cases in any county that previously showed ongoing spread of evidence.
The worst year of measles cases in the United States has led to the worst year in more than 30 years. As of August 5, the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen 1,356 confirmed cases of measles nationwide this year. For comparison, there were only 285 measles cases in 2024.
The outbreak in Texas began with rural Mennonite communities with low vaccination rates in January. More than two-thirds of the cases reported in the state are children, and two children in Texas die from the virus. Both are uninoculated and have no known potential conditions. A total of 99 people were hospitalized during the outbreak, accounting for 13% of the cases.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease that temporarily weakens the immune system and makes people susceptible to secondary infections (such as pneumonia). In rare cases, it can also cause brain swelling and long-term neurological damage. It can also lead to pregnancy complications, such as premature birth and low birth weight babies. The best way to prevent this disease is the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. One dose of the vaccine is 93% effective against measles, while two doses are 97% effective.
If no new cases are found, consider a measles outbreak after 42 days, as it is twice the maximum incubation period of the disease, which is the time a person may need when exposed to the virus and symptoms.
The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The outbreak in West Texas is linked to cases in neighboring countries, Mexico and Canada.
Measles cases are still reported elsewhere in the country, despite the outbreak in Texas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40 other states reported cases, with a total of 32 U.S. outbreaks reported in 2025, compared with 16 outbreaks in 2024.
The ongoing outbreak puts the country’s measles elimination situation at risk. This designation means no persistent measles spreads for more than 12 months. After years of increased vaccination rates, the United States achieved this in 2000, but was nearly lost in 2019, when measles cases swept through New York’s inadequate Orthodox Jewish community, most of the year.
As vaccination rates continue to decline in the U.S., public health researchers warn that outbreaks of measles and other diseases may be possible. A recent peer-reviewed paper found that at current state-level vaccination rates, measles can rebuild itself and become local again within the next two decades.
