According to state health officials, a second death related to measles this year has been reported after a New Mexico resident tested for the virus after his death, according to state health officials.
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced on Thursday that the individual was not vaccinated and that the official cause of death is still under investigation.
The first measles death this year was recorded in a child not vaccinated in school age linked to an outbreak in western Texas.
According to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), it was the first death of measles in the United States in a decade.
New Mexico has reported 10 measles cases so far this year, and many occur in Lea County, which limits with western Texas.
Health officials suspect a possible connection between cases in Texas and New Mexico, although no official link has been confirmed.
Also read: West Texas Child dies of measles in the first case of the United States in a decade
As the outbreak spreads, health officials continue to urge not vaccinated people to receive the measles vaccine, papers, rubella (MMR).
“We do not want to see the new Mexicans get sick or die of measles,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, an deputy state epidemiologist of NMDOH, in a statement.
The Besampión-Bata-Rubella vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease, ”added Smelser.
The CDC recommends two doses of the vaccine: the first between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between 4 and 6 years. A dose is 93% effective, while two doses provide 97% protection. Most vaccinated adults do not require reinforcement.
Meanwhile, in western Texas, the outbreak has grown to 159 cases, according to new data published on Tuesday. Almost all cases involve not vaccinated individuals or those with an unknown state of vaccination, with 80 confirmed as not vaccinated and 74 whose state is uncertain.
At least 22 people have been hospitalized, according to the Texas State Health Services Department (DSHS).
Children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 accounts most cases, with 74 infections reported, followed by 53 cases between children 4 years or less.
So far this year, CDCs have confirmed 164 measles cases in nine states: Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas.
However, the total is probably a lower content due to delays in the reports of the state health departments to the federal government.
(ABC News)
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