The Texas Department of Health has already declared 124 cases of measles for the outbreak declared at the end of January in the west of the North American State, which faces the worst wave of infections of this disease In the last 30 years.
Children and adolescents between five and 17 years represent the bulk of the infections, followed by other cases of four -year -old and less children. One of the 18 people who are hospitalized He has died, as reported ‘The Associated Press’. This is the first death of the outbreak of this infectious disease that has caused alarm in Texas. In addition, there are also nine spreads in New Mexico.
For its part, the Department of Health has reported that only five of the cases have occurred In people who were vaccinated. The rest or not or their vaccination status is unknown.
“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, Additional cases are likely to occur In the outbreak and surrounding communities, “they have warned in a statement. In addition, they have clarified that they are working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak.
The outbreak has His epicenter in Gaines County, where requests for vaccination exemptions have shot in the last decade. In 2013, parents of 7.5% of the students of County Infant Schools had requested the aforementioned exemption, a percentage that reached 17.5% in 2023.
Worldwide, measles He has experienced resurgence in recent years. In 2023, approximately 10.3 million cases were reported, which represents a significant increase compared to previous years. In Spain, although vaccination coverage is high, sporadic outbreaks are being recorded.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affect children, although it can occur at any age. It is characterized by high fever, cough, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis and a maculopapular rash that begins in the face and extends to the rest of the body.
Before the appearance of the rash, koplik spots (small white grains often on a reddish background) can be observed in the oral mucosa, considered very diagnostic pathognomonic of the disease. The complications include otitis media, pneumonia, diarrhea and encephalitis, being more frequent in young children.
Source: Lasexta
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