The Harris County well being division stated Thursday it is investigating a reported measles case in a toddler with no journey historical past, which might make it the primary case within the Houston space this yr that’s not related to worldwide journey.
The reported case within the northwest a part of the county was confirmed by a business laboratory, in line with Harris County Public Well being, which stated it was awaiting secondary affirmation from the Texas Division of State Well being Companies. The county well being division stated it is conducting contact tracing to determine individuals who could have been in shut contact with the kid.
“Measles is a extremely contagious respiratory illness attributable to a virus, which spreads via coughing and sneezing,” Dr. Ericka Brown, the native well being authority for Harris County, stated in a information launch. “This can be a nice reminder concerning the significance of maintaining kids updated with vaccines. Measles is definitely preventable via vaccination.”
The Houston Well being Division has reported three measles instances this yr, whereas the well being division for close by Fort Bend County has reported one case. All 4 have been tied to worldwide journey and never the continuing outbreak in West Texas, the place greater than 400 instances and one loss of life have been reported.
The final confirmed measles case in unincorporated Harris County was in 2019, when 4 individuals have been contaminated, in line with Harris County Public Well being.
Earlier than this yr, the final reported measles instances within the metropolis of Houston have been in 2018.
