New Mexico Reports 30 Measles Cases Amid Rising Outbreak in the US

TL/DR –

New Mexico’s health department has reported 30 cases of measles, a rise of 20 cases from its last count, all in Lea county, near Texas. An unvaccinated adult who did not seek medical care before death was confirmed as having measles, marking the second death related to the disease in the current outbreak across the US. Half of New Mexico’s cases are in adults aged 18 or older, with three children up to four years old, and eight adolescents aged between five and 17 years also affected.

New Mexico Measles Cases Increase

The New Mexico health department reported a significant increase in measles cases on Friday, with 30 now confirmed, up by 20 from the last count.

All these cases are in Lea county, adjacent to Gaines county, Texas, where nearly 200 cases have been reported since late January and one measles-related death of an unvaccinated child, according to new data released on Friday.

Second U.S Measles Death Reported

This spike in measles cases follows a report last Thursday of a deceased New Mexico resident testing positive for measles. This marks the second measles-related death in the United States in the current outbreak.

The unvaccinated adult did not seek medical care before their death, with the cause of death yet to be confirmed by the state’s medical examiner.

Demographics of Measles Patients in New Mexico

According to data from the state health department, half of the measles patients in New Mexico are 18 years of age or older. Among the younger patients, three are up to four years old and eight are between five and 17 years old.

The Impact of the Outbreak

The current outbreak, one of the largest the U.S has experienced in the past decade, challenges the stance of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a long-standing vaccine skeptic.

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