At least 24 cases of measles have been reported in an outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, which cautioned that additional cases are likely.

None of the infected individuals—22 children and 2 adults—were vaccinated. The outbreak occurred in a community approximately 90 miles southwest of Lubbock, Texas, near the New Mexico border.

Nine patients have required hospitalization.

"Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities," the department stated in an alert.

The CDC has reported 14 other measles cases in the U.S. so far this year. In 2024, there were 285 cases across 16 outbreaks, compared to 59 cases from four outbreaks in 2023.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, though sporadic outbreaks continue due to importation from endemic regions. The virus is highly transmissible via respiratory droplets, with a basic reproduction number (R0) of 12–18.

Of prior U.S. measles cases in 2025, 43% required hospitalization, per CDC data. In recent years, outbreaks have been associated with unvaccinated individuals, according to federal health officials.