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By Puyaan Singh
(Reuters) -The Texas Department of State Health Services on Friday reported 59 new measles cases in three days, bringing the total to 481 in the state, while New Mexico's health department reported 54 infections, adding six, as the disease spreads across the country.
Cases in Gaines County, the center of the outbreak, rose to 315 from 280 on April 1, Texas' health department said. Hospitalizations rose to 56 from 42.
Most of New Mexico's cases were reported in Lea County, which is adjacent to Gaines County in Texas.
"I think that our hope is to have seen the numbers stabilize and potentially even begin to decline, and apparently from the numbers they have published today, we're not there yet," said Dr. Sapna Singh, chief medical officer for Texas Children's Pediatrics.
As of Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a weekly nationwide increase of 124 measles cases, bringing the total to 607. In 2024, the nationwide count stood at 285.
The CDC said that 97% of nationwide cases are either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
Singh said there has been an increase in the number of parents and families calling to inquire about vaccines, adding it was not clear whether there truly has been an uptick in vaccination rate statistically.
"It feels like we're sliding a bit backwards in terms of our ability to contain this at the public health level," Singh said, adding that it was "heartbreaking" to still be worried about a disease that was at one point eradicated.
The CDC said six outbreaks — defined as three or more related cases — have been reported in 2025 so far, compared to five in its last update.
According to the agency, measles cases have been reported in two new U.S. jurisdictions — Oklahoma and Colorado — since its previous report, with 22 jurisdictions reporting measles cases so far this year.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Alan Barona)
