The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is reporting an outbreak of measles in the South Plains region of Texas. Since late January, 223 cases have been identified. As of March 11, 2025, there are 32 confirmed cases in Terry County, which is an increase of three cases since Friday, March 7. Gaines County remains the outbreak’s epicenter, with 156 confirmed cases—an increase of 19 cases since March 7. Yoakum County has now reported 10 confirmed cases, up from eight last Friday, while Dawson County also reports 10 cases, rising from nine last week.
According to DSHS, 29 confirmed cases involve hospitalized patients, some with serious complications. Tragically, there has been one fatality—a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. This child was unvaccinated and had no known underlying health conditions. Given the highly contagious nature of measles, additional cases will likely occur in the affected area and surrounding communities. DSHS is collaborating with local health departments to investigate this outbreak.
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) has confirmed that the measles outbreak in Lea County has resulted in one death and 30 cases since February 9. The increase in case numbers is due to test results from the NMDOH Scientific Laboratory Division and cases identified during investigations of known patients. These cases did not occur simultaneously but were identified retrospectively, with many detected only after patients had already recovered from their illness.
The deceased was an unvaccinated adult from Lea County who tested positive for measles after death and did not seek medical care before passing. The NMDOH Scientific Laboratory Division has confirmed this information; however, the official cause of death is still under investigation by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
Among the total cases, all patients reside in Lea County, including 26 adults and four children under 17. The majority of these cases involve unvaccinated individuals. Health officials want to clarify that this is not a rapidly expanding outbreak; the cases have been occurring steadily over time.
The newly added cases include people who were previously ill and not identified until after their illness. The timing of rash onset for the current 30 cases shows them to be spread out over time and are not increasing dramatically:
- Week 1 (2/9-2/15): 14
- Week 2 (2/16-2/22): 6
- Week 3 (2/23-3/1): 6
- Week 4 (3/2-3/8): 4
- Week 5 (3/9-15): 1
Eddy County, specifically Carlsbad, NM, is now reporting one case. Lea County borders Andrews, Gaines, and Yoakum Counties to the east and Eddy County to the west.
According to Dr. Miranda Durham, NMDOH Chief Medical Officer, “The large majority of Lea County residents are vaccinated and well-protected even if they come into contact with the virus,” Dr. Durham went on today as well, “Most confirmed measles cases involve people unvaccinated and have occurred over an extended period of time.”
Texas Outbreak Case Count by County
| County | Cases |
|---|---|
| Dallam | 5 |
| Dawson | 10 |
| Ector | 2 |
| Gaines | 156 |
| Lubbock | 3 |
| Lynn | 2 |
| Martin | 3 |
| Terry | 32 |
| Yoakum | 10 |
| Total | 223 |
Age Ranges of Outbreak Measles Cases
| 0 – 4 years | 5 – 17 years | 18+ years | Pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 98 | 38 | 11 |
Vaccination Status of Outbreak Confirmed Cases
| Not Vaccinated | Unknown Status | Vaccinated with at least one dose |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 138 | 5 |
New Mexico Case Count by County (as of 03/07/2025):
| County | Cases | Hospitalizations | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lea | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| Eddy | 1 | 0 | 0 |
