Texas child dies in measles outbreak, first U.S. fatality in years

A child in Texas has died from measles, marking the first fatality in an outbreak that has infected more than 130 people, the state's health department announced Wednesday.

"The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles," the department said in a news release.

A statement from Lubbock officials confirmed that the child passed away "within the last 24 hours."

Since the beginning of the year, over 130 measles cases have been reported in west Texas and neighboring New Mexico, raising concerns about the resurgence of the highly contagious disease amid declining immunization rates.

Most of the cases are among children. Eighteen have been hospitalized in Texas.

"While multiple measles outbreaks in the United States have not resulted in a death, it was only a matter of time that one would occur," infectious disease physician Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins University told AFP.

"Measles still kills over 100,000 individuals every year worldwide. The death should serve as a reminder that there was a reason that the vaccine was developed and that the vaccine is a value to individuals. These deaths are almost entirely preventable."

The outbreak's epicenter is Gaines County, home to a significant Mennonite population, a Christian sect with a history of vaccine hesitancy.

Texas law permits vaccine exemptions for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs.

- Airborne threat-

Measles is an extremely contagious respiratory virus spread through respiratory droplets or when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It poses a serious risk to those who are unvaccinated.

During outbreaks, about one in five infected individuals requires hospitalization, and one in 20 develops pneumonia. In rare cases, the disease leads to brain swelling and can be fatal. Measles also increases the risk of pregnancy complications, including premature birth and low birth weight.

In 2023, the US reported 285 measles cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The largest recent outbreak occurred in 2019, with 1,274 cases -- primarily within Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey -- marking the highest national total in decades.

Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, an estimated three to four million Americans contracted the disease and several hundred died annually.

Although measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, outbreaks continue to occur each year. Globally, the virus remains a leading cause of preventable deaths.

The outbreak coincides with the beginning of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as US Health Secretary, a role that grants him significant influence over immunization policy.

Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic, has repeatedly and falsely linked the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism -- a claim thoroughly debunked by scientific research.

© Agence France-Presse