By Matthew Reichbach
State health officials reported the first case of measles in Doña Ana County, the most populous county in southern New Mexico. The case was an unvaccinated child.
In all, the state has confirmed 63 cases of measles, with the vast majority in Lea County.
The spread was not a surprise to health officials, who once again urged those who are not fully vaccinated against measles with two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine to do so to protect themselves against the highly infectious disease.
“Given how contagious measles is, we expected it to find its way from El Paso County in Texas to neighboring Doña Ana County,” NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said. “No matter where you live in New Mexico, make sure you and your family are up to date with your vaccinations.”
NMDOH listed public locations where people could have been exposed to measles:
- April 2, from noon – 6 p.m. at Kid’s Kountry Place Preschool and Childcare, 3704 Elks Drive.
- April 3, 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Memorial Medical Center (MMC) Family Medicine Center, 2605 Terrace Drive.
- April 6, 1 – 7:15 p.m. at the MMC Emergency Department, 2450 S. Telshor Blvd.
- April 7, 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. at MMC Family Medicine Center, 2605 Terrace Drive.
- April 8, 7:45 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. at both the MMC Emergency Department and Pediatric Unit, 2450 S. Telshor Blvd.
The department said anyone who has symptoms and believes they were exposed to measles should call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773). Nurses are available to give advice in both English and Spanish.
NMDOH is also providing MMR vaccinations with no appointment necessary at two locations in Las Cruces:
- Mondays, 1-3 p.m. and Fridays, 9-11 a.m. at the Las Cruces Public Health Office, 1170 N. Solano Drive. Call (575) 528-5001 for more information.
- Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. at the Las Cruces East Mesa Public Health Office, 5220 Holman Road. For more information call (575) 382-0540.
According to NMDOH’s measles information page, 46 of the cases in New Mexico were among those who were unvaccinated, 11 with unknown vaccination status and six who were vaccinated with at least one dose.
Of the 63 people who contracted measles, 5 have been hospitalized and one died. This was the first death due to measles in New Mexico in at least 40 years.
Some confirmed cases of measles took place weeks ago, as NMDOH investigates each potential case. The department provides a timeline of the rash onset in each case, and says the cases are “not increasing dramatically.”
- Week 1 (2/9-2/15): 14
- Week 2 (2/16-2/22): 6
- Week 3 (2/23-3/1): 8
- Week 4 (3/2-3/8): 6
- Week 5 (3/9-15): 6
- Week 6 (3/16-22): 3
- Week 7 (3/23-29): 6
- Week 8 (3/30-4/5): 10
- Week 9 (4/6-4/12): 4
Texas has the largest number of measles cases, with 561 cases confirmed since late January. This includes an additional 20 confirmed cases since Friday. Two people, both unvaccinated, school-age children, died of measles in Texas.
These include 7 cases in El Paso County, which borders Doña Ana County and is home to the largest city in the region, El Paso. Most cases, 364, are in Gaines County, which also borders New Mexico.