Texas declares the end of the measles epidemic after the last case reported
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The measles epidemic in Texas is officially completed.
In a press release on Monday, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported the end of the epidemic, centered in western Texas.
The announcement was made after no new cases was reported for more than 42 days in the counties which had previously shown evidence of transmission in progress.
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As of August 18, a total of 762 cases of measles were confirmed in Texas since the start of the epidemic at the end of January.
One of the first cases was in the county of Gaines, where a total of 414 infections were reported.
A total of 1,356 cases of measles were confirmed in the United States on August 5, according to the CDC. (Reuters)
The virus spread to the United States in 2025, marking a total of 1,356 cases confirmed in the country on August 5, according to the CDC.
More than two -thirds of Texas cases affected school -aged children. In total, 99 people were hospitalized and two children died.
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In a press release, the DSHS commissioner Jennifer A. Shuford, MD, underlined the “tireless work” of public health professionals through Texas, who “contributed to the confinement of one of the most contagious viruses”.
“We arrived at this stage thanks to a complete response of epidemic which included tests, vaccination, surveillance of diseases and public education on measles through awareness campaigns,” added Shuford.
A paramedical ambulancer gives a dose of the measles vaccine in a health center in Lubbock, Texas, on February 27, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP via Getty Images)
“I also want to recognize the many health professionals who have identified and treated the cases of viruses that most providers had never seen in person before this epidemic.”
Potential risks remain
Forty-two days is double the maximum incubation period of the disease, according to DSHS, which is why experts consider that the epidemic is over.
But the threat of measles is still looming, because in progress epidemics exist in North America and other regions of the world, which will lead to “cases of measles in Texas” probably “this year.
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“Health care providers should continue to be vigilant and test measles if their patient has symptoms compatible with the virus,” the DSHS wrote in a press release.
“Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease, which can cause deadly disease to anyone who is not protected against the virus.”
“Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease, which can cause deadly disease to anyone who is not protected against the virus,” wrote the DSHS. (Jan Sonnenmair / Getty Images)
About one in five children who fall ill will require hospitalization during an epidemic of measles, and one in 20 will develop pneumonia, according to state health officials.
In rare cases, measles can lead to swelling of the brain and death, as well as complications of pregnancy.
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The best way to prevent measles is by vaccination, according to DSHS advice and other public health experts.
This includes two doses of vaccination containing measles, mainly administered as ROR vaccine.
The panels open the way to measles tests in the district of the Hospital of Seminole opposite the Wigwam stadium on February 27, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. (Jan Sonnenmair / Getty Images)
“It is a factor several times more contagious,” he said, noting that an infected person can have an impact on 10 to 15 other people.
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To protect against infection, Whyte highlighted the need to be aware of your environment and wear a mask in the areas where cases have been detected.
He also recommended to practice “good hand washing” after touching the surfaces, as well as keeping the surfaces clean, because the viral droplets can stick and spread when the contact is established.
