Health
Measles in the U.S.: Latest Maps and Cases
Measles continues to spread in West Texas and New Mexico, with more than 250 people infected — many unvaccinated school-age children. Two cases in Oklahoma, for which state officials have not provided a location, have also been linked to these outbreaks. Eleven other states have reported isolated measles cases, typically linked to international travel.
● Isolated cases ● Outbreaks
Measles cases by county in 2025
The Texas outbreak began in late January, when local health officials reported two cases in Gaines County, a rural agricultural area on the western edge of the state.
The outbreak quickly escalated. Measles has spread into neighboring counties and infected at least 223 people as of Tuesday, including 29 people who have been hospitalized and an unvaccinated young child who died, the first such death in the United States in a decade.
New Mexico also declared an outbreak in Lea County, which borders Gaines County. While the cases in New Mexico have not officially been connected to the Texas outbreak, officials have said they are “undoubtedly related.”
Measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico
Last week, an unvaccinated resident of Lea County who tested positive for the virus died, though officials have not yet confirmed that measles was the cause of death.
In both states, most measles cases have spread among people who are unvaccinated or with unknown vaccine status.
For years, Gaines County has had low childhood vaccination rates, largely because of the area’s large Mennonite community. While there is no religious doctrine that explicitly forbids vaccines, the insular Christian group has historically avoided interacting with the health care system and has a long tradition of using home remedies and supplements.
Roughly 82 percent of the kindergarten students in the county had received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, or M.M.R., last year, which is far below the 95 percent coverage needed to prevent outbreaks in a community.
Texas public schools require children to have received certain vaccines, including the M.M.R. shot, but parents can apply for an exemption for “reasons of conscience,” including religious beliefs. Last year, Gaines County had one of the highest exemption rates in the state.
Vaccination rates can vary widely by school district. The Loop Independent School District in Gaines County is a small district with one school and the lowest rate of measles vaccination in the affected Texas counties. Only 46 percent of kindergarten students had received their M.M.R. vaccine in the 2023 school year, down from 82 percent in 2019.
By county, for public school districts and private schools, since 2019
Change in measles vaccination rates in affected Texas counties
In Lea County, N.M., the M.M.R. vaccination rate for children and teens is relatively high, at about 94 percent. But the rate among adults is much lower: 63 percent have received one shot of M.M.R., and only 55 percent have received both shots, according to local health officials, though they noted that there may be vaccinated adults whose records have not been added to the system. Adults make up more than half of reported cases in New Mexico.
Measles is one of the most contagious known infections. In a hypothetical community where nobody had immunity from the virus and each infected person infected 18 others, a small outbreak would quickly grow out of control:
Every vaccinated person would help slow the spread of the virus and limit the outbreak:
For the outbreak to end quickly, each infected person would need to infect fewer than one other person, on average. In this example, 17 of 18 people would need to be vaccinated — more than 94 percent of the community:
And while measles symptoms often resolve on their own within a few weeks, the virus can be extremely dangerous in rare cases. It may cause pneumonia, making it difficult for children to get oxygen into their lungs.
The infection can also lead to brain swelling, which can cause lasting damage, including blindness, deafness and intellectual disabilities. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus also causes “immune amnesia,” making the body unable to defend itself against illnesses it has already been exposed to and leaving patients more susceptible to future infections.
Once someone is infected with the virus, doctors have little control over how serious a measles infection becomes — there is no antiviral for measles to stop its spread in the body, only “supportive care” to help manage symptoms. That’s why experts recommend that people get two doses of the M.M.R. vaccine, which are 97 percent effective at preventing infection.
Measles was officially declared eliminated — which means the virus is not continually spreading — in 2000, in large part because of aggressive vaccination campaigns. Experts now fear that status may be at risk, as childhood vaccination rates have been falling nationally.
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Over half of Americans are lying through their teeth — about their teeth.
That’s according to a new survey conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Aspen Dental, which asked 2,000 American adults about their dental hygiene, as reported by SWNS.
The study spoke to the mixed emotions Americans experience when it comes to dental visits, including fear, anxiety and discomfort, which can often lead to delayed care.
BRUSH, FLOSS, MOUTHWASH: DENTISTS REVEAL WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS THE CORRECT ORDER
In the poll, 60% of respondents confessed to wanting to impress their dentist during office visits, leading 57% of them to fib about their dental hygiene.
Over half of those in the study confessed to wanting to impress their dentist during office visits. (iStock)
And yet, 48% of people said they believed their dentists could see right through their lies, according to SWNS.
Sixty-four percent of respondents said they felt guilty about their dishonesty. Millennials and Gen Xers felt the least guilty about lying compared to older Americans.
‘I’M A DENTIST – HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER KEEP YOUR TOOTHBRUSH NEAR THE TOILET’
A third of those who have lied to the dentist (33%) simply didn’t want their dentist to think less of them, while a fifth (19%) said they don’t mean to be dishonest, but that “panic lies” accidentally slip out, especially among Gen Zers (27%), per SWNS.
Obstacles to dental care
Anxiety is the biggest obstacle keeping Americans from visiting the dentist (24%), affecting 29% of women and 17% of men, the survey found.
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Twenty-two percent said the actual dental work put them off, with baby boomers feeling the most uncomfortable in that regard. And 13% have avoided the dentist’s office because they were embarrassed about their poor dental hygiene.
The survey also revealed that nearly a quarter of Americans (22%) had discomfort or soreness in their mouths at least once per week, with millennials experiencing more discomfort than other generations (34%).
More women than men expressed feelings of anxiety when it comes to dental appointments. (iStock)
These factors may contribute to the 45% of respondents who have not visited a dentist in the last year and the nearly one in five Americans (19%) who haven’t seen the inside of a dentist’s office in five years.
Nearly one in five people haven’t seen the inside of a dentist’s office in five years.
“Maintaining adequate oral health can be overwhelming,” Dr. Taylor Sutton, multi-practice owner and practicing dentist at Aspen Dental in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told SWNS.
“That’s why it’s so important to have a dentist you feel comfortable connecting with, who shows empathy and leaves all judgment at the door.”
After leaving the dentist, respondents reported following improved dental habits for eight days before slipping back into old routines. (iStock)
Dr. Tracy Redden, multi-practice owner and practicing dentist at Aspen Dental in Boston, echoed the importance of proper oral care.
“Neglecting oral hygiene — whatever your reason — can lead to serious health issues,” she told SWNS.
“Your mouth is the gateway to your body that can affect your overall health. Maintaining oral health is not a choice, but a necessity for our overall well-being.”
Dental dos and don’ts
When leaving the dentist’s office determined to maintain better dental health, respondents said their good hygiene habits last only about eight days before they slip back into bad habits.
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Over half of the survey respondents confessed they don’t regularly floss, and nearly seven in 10 said they brush their teeth for less than two minutes per session.
“You may not need to use dental floss as frequently as toothpaste, but it should still be a part of your daily dental cleaning,” Dr. Arash Ravanbakhsh of Inglewood Family Dental in Alberta, Canada, said in an email to Fox News Digital.
Millennials and Gen Xers felt the least guilty about lying to their dentists compared to older Americans. (iStock)
“While dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, this is not the only cleaning method you should be using daily. Mouthwash and flossing also play a huge role in keeping your oral hygiene in top condition,” Ravanbakhsh added.
One mistake patients make when cleaning at home is using too much pressure when brushing, according to the doctor.
“You may not need to use dental floss as frequently as toothpaste, but it should still be a part of your daily dental cleaning.”
“Just because you brush your teeth harder does not mean you are giving them a more thorough clean,” he wrote. “In fact, this could damage your teeth and gums.”
To safely and properly clean your teeth, Ravanbakhsh recommends using a manual brush with soft bristles or an electric toothbrush.
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