A measles outbreak in Texas has grown to 48 cases, all of whom are unvaccinated.
CDC: No cases reported in NC yet.

(ABC News, Mary Kekatos) — Measles is continuing to spread across the United States as an outbreak in Texas rapidly grows and cases are confirmed in nearby states, according to health officials.

In western Texas, a measles outbreak doubled from 24 confirmed cases on Tuesday to 48 cases on Friday, according to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). This marks the largest measles outbreak in the state in more than 30 years, according to a DSHS spokesperson.

All of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, and 13 people have been hospitalized so far. Gaines County is the epicenter of the outbreak, with 42 cases confirmed among residents, according to DSHS.

Meanwhile, in neighboring New Mexico, three unrelated cases of measles were confirmed last week in Lea County, which borders Gaines County, according to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH).

“While a connection to the Texas outbreak is suspected, it remains unconfirmed,” according to a news release from the NMDOH.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has separately confirmed 14 cases in five states so far this year, which does not include the recent Texas or New Mexico cases or recently confirmed cases in Georgia.

Public health experts who work in the field of infectious diseases told ABC News they’re concerned about the rise in cases and that it could lead to a far bigger outbreak among those who are unvaccinated or undervaccinated.

PHOTO: Stock photo of a person with a measles-like rash.
STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images

“This current measles outbreak is very concerning when it comes to the potential for measles to become a lot more widespread,” said Dr. Alok Patel, a pediatrician at Stanford Children’s Health, and an ABC News contributor. “What we’re seeing right now is a crack in the foundation of a building, and we do not want this building to collapse, and so the minute you see a small outbreak of measles — especially in an un- or under-vaccinated population — this is a textbook example of how measles can quickly spread.”

“A small measles outbreak could be the start of a public health catastrophe that is completely preventable,” he added.

Vaccine exemptions among children in Gaines County — the epicenter of the Texas outbreak — have grown dramatically in the past few years.

Read full story here. 

The NC DHHS reported a confirmed case of measles in a child in Mecklenburg County in September of 2024.  That was the first confirmed case in North Carolina since 2018.