A child in West Texas has died of measles, the first death in the United States in 10 years. The measles outbreak has increased from a few cases to more than 130 in two states. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
The child, who had not been vaccinated against the disease, died in the hospital.
According to Texas officials, at least 124 people have been infected in West Texas since early February, most of them children.
On Tuesday, February 25, nine more cases were announced in eastern New Mexico, near the Texas border, where the outbreak has spread to about 10 counties.
The New Mexico Department of Health warned that “because measles is highly contagious, additional cases are likely.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the death rate from measles, which is spread by airborne droplets through coughing or sneezing, is 1 to 3 deaths for every 1,000 reported cases. The last measles death in the United States was recorded in 2015.
Recall
Last year, 433 cases of measles were registered in Ukraine, which is almost seven times more than in the same period in 2023, when there were only 65 cases. The situation among children is particularly alarming: they account for 84.2% of cases (365 patients), which is ten times more than last year (35 cases). The most vulnerable are children under the age of 17, while adults account for 15.7% of cases. No fatalities were recorded.