A second child with measles died in Texas while the epidemic continues to spread – the news of Mercury

By Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A second child with measles in Texas died.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that the files he had obtained showed that an 8 -year -old girl died Thursday from a “pulmonary inadequacy of measles” in a Lubbock hospital, where there were at least 33 infections confirmed since the start of the epidemic in January.

The first child died in Lubbock in February.

Texas health authorities said on Friday that the state epidemic increased to 481 confirmed cases in 19 counties, with at least 59 new infections last week. A third of cases were in children 4 years or less. Almost all patients were not vaccinated, although a total of 10 people contracted measles after receiving at least one dose of vaccine.

Tarrant County Health officials issued a warning on Friday that someone who was later tested for the virus had visited the vine between March 28 and March 30. The infected person was contagious when visiting the Great Wolf Lodge Hotel and Water Park. The person also visited the Grapevine Mills shopping center on March 29, walked in the shopping center and ate in the catering area.

Since last week, there had been no infection with confirmed measles in the county of Tarrant or elsewhere in the Metroplex. But the virus is one of the most contagious pathogens. Symptoms may appear seven to 14 days after exposure. The virus can linger in the air in a room as long as two hours after a sick person was there.

The most common symptoms are high fever, cough, conjunctivitis and rashes, with serious complications, including otitis, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis.

Anyone who was in one of the vineyards from the vine from March 28 to 30 and which is not vaccinated or uncertain of its vaccination status risks contracting measles, Tarrant officials said. Those who are pregnant or immunocked and not vaccinated must immediately contact their health care provider, officials said.

Tarrant County health authorities have warned that there is a “high risk” of measles here due to the drop in vaccination rates. The virus is so contagious that if a person has it, up to 9 out of 10 nearby will be infected if they are not vaccinated.

The best way to protect yourself from measles is with the measles vaccine, mumps and rubella (MMR). Two doses of ROR vaccine are effective by around 97% to prevent measles; A dose is effective by around 93%, according to centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

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Originally published: April 6, 2025 at 11:52 a.m.