Gaines County, the epicenter of the massive Texas measles outbreak that began in January, no longer has ongoing measles transmission, public health officials said on Tuesday.
The Department of State Health Services released its weekly measles update, which included no new measles cases reported in the outbreak over the past week. The total outbreak case count instead remained steady at 753 confirmed cases.
There have been a total of 98 hospitalizations over the course of the outbreak, according to the Tuesday update. The outbreak has also claimed the lives of two unvaccinated Texas children.
Over half of the total outbreak cases have been reported in Gaines County, which borders New Mexico. The virus tore through that county, spreading rapidly among unvaccinated residents and resulting in 414 reported cases.
Gaines County dropping off the active transmission list is a significant shift in the measles outbreak, which appears to be winding down in Texas. State health officials still designated one county, Lamar County, as having ongoing measles transmission.
The outbreak that began in Texas has also impacted neighboring states. As of Tuesday, New Mexico reported a total of 95 measles cases and Oklahoma reported a total of 20 measles cases.
In addition, Texas officials have reported 39 measles cases so far this year that are not connected to the large outbreak.
Nationwide, the 2025 measles count has now surpassed the previous full-year high of 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University’s measles tracking project. Just over halfway through the year, the United States has already reported more cases in 2025 than in any full year in the past three decades.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can spread rapidly among unvaccinated people.
The two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing the illness. The vaccine is recommended for nearly everyone beginning at about 12 months of age, with the exception of people who are immunocompromised or pregnant.
2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Measles no longer actively spreading in Gaines County, the epicenter of Texas’s outbreak (2025, July 8)
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