- An unvaccinated child in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, has contracted measles, marking the fourth county affected in the state.
- There are 63 reported measles cases in New Mexico, with the majority in Lea County, believed to have originated from an outbreak in Texas.
- Possible measles exposures occurred at several locations in Las Cruces, including a preschool and medical centers, between April 2 and 8.
New Mexico Department of Health officials confirmed that an unvaccinated child is the first case of measles reported in Doña Ana County.
Health Department officials said April 15 that the new case means measles has spread to four counties in the state.
Officials also warned of the possible exposure of others at certain locations in Las Cruces between April 2 and April 8.
Measles cases in New Mexico rise
There are 63 cases of measles reported in New Mexico, according to NMDOH data.
Twenty-seven of those cases are among those 18 or older. However 19 cases were reported among children between 5 and 17 years old, while 17 cases were among children younger than 4. Of the total cases, 46 were not vaccinated and 6 had received just one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The majority of cases are found in Lea County, where the outbreak first began. Officials believed that an outbreak in neighboring Texas counties crossed over into New Mexico.
At least two deaths have been linked to the virus - a child in Texas and another death in New Mexico.
“Given how contagious measles is we expected it to find its way from El Paso County in Texas to neighboring Doña Ana County,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, NMDOH Chief Medical Officer. “No matter where you live in New Mexico, make sure you and your family are up to date with your vaccinations.”
In West Texas, 561 cases of the virus have been reported.
Learn more about measles in New Mexico by visiting https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/mog/.
Preschool, medical centers reported exposed
Health officials warned of possible exposure at five locations in Las Cruces, including a preschool.
Below is a list of the locations along with the dates of possible exposure.
- April 2, from noon to 6 p.m. at Kid’s Kountry Place Preschool and Childcare, 3704 Elks Drive.
- April 3, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center (MMC) Family Medicine Center, 2605 Terrace Drive.
- April 6, 1 to 7:15 p.m. at the MMC Emergency Department, 2450 S. Telshor Blvd.
- April 7, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at MMC Family Medicine Center, 2605 Terrace Drive.
- April 8, 7:45 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at both the MMC Emergency Department and Pediatric Unit, 2450 S. Telshor Blvd.
Those who believe they were exposed should contact the New Mexico Department of Health helpline at 1-833-796-8773.
How do you know if you have measles?
The last major outbreak of measles was in 2019 and resulted in 1,249 cases. In 1992 measles was declared eliminated in the U.S.
Measles manifests within seven to 14 days. Infection includes fever, cough, watery eyes and runny nose in addition to a rash.
Other symptoms include:
- Koplik's spots, tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin
- Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots (the spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body)
- When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees
Where can I get vaccinated?
Walk-in MMR vaccinations are available without an appointment.
- Mondays, 1-3 p.m. and Fridays, 9-11 a.m. at the Las Cruces Public Health Office, 1170 N. Solano Drive. Call 575-528-5001 for more information.
- Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. at the Las Cruces East Mesa Public Health Office, 5220 Holman Road. For more information call 575-382-0540.
