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Oklahoma Now Reporting Measles Cases Related to Texas/New Mexico Outbreak

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 20, 2025.

By Stephanie Brown HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 19, 2025 -- As the number of cases in the Texas measles outbreak continues to climb, Oklahoma is now reporting four cases, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Currently, a total of 321 cases have been reported in the outbreak of measles that began earlier this year in Gaines County, Texas, and has since spread to New Mexico and now Oklahoma. All four cases in Oklahoma reported "exposure associated with the Texas and New Mexico outbreak."

As of March 18, the number of cases in the measles outbreak in Gaines County and the surrounding communities in the state of Texas totaled 279 individuals, including at least 208 children and 52 adults. Thirty-six patients have been hospitalized. The total number of cases in New Mexico is 38, with 17 children younger than 17 years and 20 adults affected; the age of one case is pending. Two patients have been hospitalized. Cases have been reported in 11 Texas counties and two New Mexico counties.

The majority of measles cases have occurred in individuals who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. However, there have been six reported cases in people who have received at least one dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, including two cases in Texas and four in New Mexico.

Last month, Texas reported the first death from the outbreak -- a school-aged child who was unvaccinated and had no underlying health conditions. Health officials in New Mexico are also investigating the death of an unvaccinated individual who tested positive for measles to determine the cause of death.

Reports from officials indicate that the highly contagious nature of the disease will likely cause it to continue spreading.

"This is going to be a large outbreak, and we are still on the side where we are increasing the number of cases. … I'm really thinking this is going to be a year long," Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, said at a briefing Tuesday, CNN reported. "I just think, it being so rural now, multistate, it's just going to take a lot more boots on the ground, a lot more work to get things under control. It's not an isolated population."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted March 2025

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