Texas is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in nearly 30 years, with 146 cases and one death—the first in the U.S. since 2015. The outbreak, concentrated in a West Texas community with low vaccination rates, has resulted in 20 hospitalizations. The deceased child was unvaccinated, highlighting the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing severe illness and death. Health officials are urging vaccination to control the spread, emphasizing the preventable nature of this highly contagious disease.
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Legacy Traditional School in Cibolo, Texas, reported a single confirmed case of rubella, prompting an email alert to parents. While the school remains open, a thorough sanitization will occur after hours. Importantly, this is distinct from the state’s larger measles outbreak exceeding 100 cases; no measles cases are confirmed in the immediate San Antonio area. Parents are urged to review their children’s immunization records, and officials emphasize that smaller measles outbreaks are not unusual.
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Ontario is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in nearly 30 years, with 78 new cases identified in the past two weeks, bringing the provincial total to over 140. This surge surpasses the combined total of cases from 2013 to 2023 and is linked to an interprovincial outbreak affecting multiple Canadian provinces. The outbreak, concentrated among unvaccinated children and teenagers, has resulted in 18 hospitalizations, highlighting the severity and contagious nature of the disease. Experts warn that declining vaccination rates increase the risk of measles resurgence, jeopardizing Canada’s elimination status achieved in 1998.
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New Jersey reports three confirmed measles cases, linked to a single internationally-travelled individual, highlighting the virus’s high contagiousness and the risk posed by unvaccinated individuals. These cases follow a larger outbreak in West Texas, resulting in one death and 124 cases across nine counties, emphasizing the continued threat of measles despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. Low vaccination rates, particularly in certain communities, contribute to the spread of this potentially deadly disease. Public health officials are actively working to increase vaccination rates and contain the outbreaks through clinics and educational outreach.
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Kentucky’s Department of Public Health confirmed a new measles case, linked to international travel. Exposure may have occurred at a Frankfort Planet Fitness on February 17th between 9 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The highly contagious virus, preventable via the MMR vaccine, presents symptoms including fever, cough, and rash. Individuals experiencing symptoms after potential exposure should contact their healthcare provider before visiting.
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User feedback revealed significant issues with the video ad experience. Problems reported included slow loading times, failure to load content, freezing, and excessively loud audio. Additionally, some users experienced ads that failed to start or complete. These issues collectively indicate a need for immediate technical improvements. Addressing these problems will improve user satisfaction and ad effectiveness.
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A West Texas resident with measles visited multiple locations in San Antonio, New Braunfels, and San Marcos, Texas, between February 14th and 16th, prompting health officials to issue a warning. These locations included Texas State University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, the San Antonio River Walk, and a Buc-ees in New Braunfels. Individuals present at these locations during the specified times should monitor for symptoms. This outbreak, stemming from Gaines County (with an 18% unvaccinated rate), is the largest measles outbreak in Texas in three decades. Health officials urge vaccination to prevent further spread.
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Two individuals, one in Wyoming and one in Ohio, were hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu, highlighting the virus’s potential severity. The Wyoming patient, exposed to infected poultry, remains hospitalized, while the Ohio patient, exposed during poultry depopulation, has recovered. These cases underscore concerns about reassortment with seasonal flu, potentially creating a pandemic-capable virus, given the current severe flu season. Prior H1N1 infection may offer some cross-protection, but its extent remains uncertain.
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As of Friday, a measles outbreak in northwest Texas has reached 90 confirmed cases, with 32 new cases reported since Tuesday and 16 hospitalizations. The outbreak is largely affecting unvaccinated individuals, particularly children and teens, in Gaines and Terry Counties, which have high vaccine exemption rates. Highly contagious, measles spreads easily through the air, and severe complications can be fatal. The surge coincides with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent appointment as health secretary, despite his history of anti-vaccine activism.
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Texas is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in three decades, with at least 90 cases and 16 hospitalizations in the South Plains region. The majority of cases are in unvaccinated children and teenagers, largely due to parental choice or unknown vaccination status; Gaines County, with a high exemption rate, is the epicenter. This surge follows a nationwide increase in measles cases, reaching the highest number since 2019. The outbreak coincides with the confirmation of an anti-vaccine activist to a national health position, raising further concerns.
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John Q. Hosedrinker