Those who died in New Mexico who have not been vaccinated have tested positive for measles, state health officials said Thursday that it was probably the second fatalest in a growing outbreak that began in West Texas.
Officials have not yet confirmed that measles was the cause of death, and the individual said they have not sought treatment before dying.
The announcement comes just over a week after a child died of measles in Gaines County, Texas, the first US death in 10 years.
Ten cases of measles, six adults and four children have been reported in Lee County, New Mexico. It is adjacent to Gaines County, the epicenter of the West Texas outbreak.
The outbreak was a fire trial of the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine skeptic. His vague response has attracted severe criticism from scientists, who say that he has provided calm support for vaccination and highlighted such untested treatments for measles, such as cod liver oil.
Instead of broadly praised the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, as past medical secretaries have had, his message was that while the vaccine helps protect against measles, the decision to receive it is “personal.”
All New Mexico cases include people who have not been vaccinated or unknown vaccine status. The New Mexico incident has not formally linked to the Texas outbreak, but authorities said Link was “suspected.”
As of Tuesday, nearly 160 measles outbreaks in western Texas have suffered illnesses and 22 hospitalisations.
New Mexico health officials have urged residents to get a vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Experts say it's the best way to protect you from this disease. Two doses of the vaccine prevent more than 97% of measles infections.
“We don't want to see New Mexicans get sick or die from measles,” state epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smercer said in a news release.
Measles is a very infectious disease that can spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Each infected person can spread the pathogen to as many as 18 other people.
Within a week or two of exposure, an infected person can develop high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes. Within a few days, a rash of Terutale will erupt, first as flat, red spots on the face, then spreading the neck and torso over the rest of the body.
In most cases, these symptoms resolve within a few weeks. However, in rare cases, the virus causes pneumonia, making it difficult for patients, especially children, to put oxygen into the lungs.
Infection can also lead to swelling of the brain, which can cause permanent damage, such as blindness, hearing loss, and intellectual disability.
For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus also weakens the immune system over the long term and makes the host more susceptible to future infections.
A 2015 study found that measles could be responsible for up to half of all infectious disease deaths in children before the MMR vaccine became widely available.
