New Mexico’s health authorities have announced the death of an adult who was infected with measles, although it has not been definitively confirmed as the cause. According to a statement from a spokesperson at the state health department, the deceased individual was not vaccinated and had not sought any medical treatment.
The person, whose age and additional details have not been disclosed, resided in Lea County, New Mexico. This county is in close proximity to a region in West Texas, which has reported 159 measles cases. Notably, a child of school age succumbed to the virus there last week. Despite this geographical closeness, New Mexico health officials have not yet established a link between their cases and the outbreak in Texas.
This marks the 10th confirmed case of measles in Lea County. Out of these, seven individuals were unvaccinated, and the vaccination status of the remaining three is not yet determined. Six of the infections occurred in adults, while the others affected children under the age of 17.
In response to the outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disclosed on Tuesday that a team has been dispatched to Texas to aid local public health authorities in managing the situation, which started in late January.
Measles is known as a respiratory virus capable of remaining airborne for up to two hours. According to the CDC, it is highly contagious, with approximately 90% of susceptible individuals contracting the virus if exposed.
The vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is considered safe and highly effective in preventing both infections and severe cases. The CDC advises the first dose of the MMR vaccine for children between 12 to 15 months old, with a second dose recommended at ages 4 to 6 years.
Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist, emphasized, “We don’t want to see New Mexicans getting sick or dying from measles. The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease.”
