The measles outbreak in Texas has grown to 146 confirmed cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced. The outbreak, which began toward the end of January, has hospitalized 20 people so far. This week, a child died lost their battle with the virus, becoming the first US measles death in 10 years. Health officials warn that the outbreak may be far from over, as an infected individual visited the cities of San Antonio and San Marcos on the weekend of February 14. The person was on the campus of University of Texas at San Antonio as well as various restaurants and stores in the area. As a result, health officials “expect to see additional cases”. Katherine Wells, director of public health for the Lubbock, Texas health department added, “I’m very nervous about getting a measles case in a school or a day care. We are closely monitoring that.”
“It’s very possible that this person could have come in contact with, if not hundreds, thousands of our community residents, as well as visitors,” said Anita Kurian, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Deputy Director of Communicable Disease. “We are a destination city. We have real great concern of potential large community wide exposures at these public sites.”
Full Story: NBC News, The Texas Tribune
