Measles is a highly contagious virus that can be fatal in severe cases. (Image credit: Moussa81/Getty Images)
Health officials say a second person has died from measles in the ongoing outbreak in the United States.
An adult in Lee County, New Mexico, has tested positive for the measles virus, although the official cause of death is still under investigation, the New Mexico Department of Health said in a statement Thursday (March 6).
As of March 6, New Mexico has 10 confirmed cases of the virus, all concentrated in Lee County. It is unclear whether the new case is related to the measles outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, but the two counties are about 50 miles (80 kilometers) apart.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads between people through airborne droplets, such as those from coughs and sneezes. It causes respiratory infections and a characteristic red rash, and can also lead to more serious symptoms, such as pneumonia and swelling of the brain, known as encephalitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About 1 in 5 cases requires hospitalization, and about 3 in 1,000 cases are fatal, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
As of Feb. 27, there have been 164 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. this year in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, according to the CDC. Most cases have been reported in the South Plains region of northwest Texas, where 159 cases have been reported from late January through March 4, according to the Texas Department of Health Services.
Nationwide, 32 cases have resulted in hospitalizations and two deaths. The first fatality was a school-age child in Lubbock, Texas.
None of the patients who died were vaccinated against the virus, and 95% of cases occurred in people who were either unvaccinated or had an uncertain vaccination status, according to the CDC.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective at preventing measles, according to the CDC. However, breakthrough infections sometimes occur, especially in communities with high rates of the virus.
These breakthrough infections tend to be milder: just 3% of reported cases this year have occurred among those who received one dose of the vaccine, and 2% among those who received two doses.
“We do not want New Mexicans to become sick or die from measles,” Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Measles, said in a statement. “The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best defense against this serious disease.”
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Pandora DewanSocial Link NavigationTrending News Editor
Pandora is the news editor at Live Science. She is also a science anchor and previously worked as a senior science and health reporter at Newsweek. Pandora holds a degree in biological sciences from the University of Oxford, where she specialized in biochemistry and molecular biology.
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