Austin Public Health has announced the first local case of measles in AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County since 2019.
An unvaccinated infant was exposed to the virus while vacationing with family overseas, Austin Public Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said at a news conference Friday. APH does not expect any additional exposures to measles from this case. The infant's family members are all vaccinated and are isolating at home, she said.
The case does not appear to be linked to the ongoing West Texas measles outbreak, which has affected more than 145 people so far, with 20 people hospitalized.
A person from that outbreak recently traveled to San Antonio and San Marcos while they were contagious, possibly exposing others to the virus.
"It's still possible that people exposed to this person are in their incubation period, and we are closely monitoring for this," Walkes said.
Symptoms of the disease include a cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes; and a flat, red rash that typically breaks out on the forehead and then spreads to the rest of the body, Walkes said. She said a person is contagious four days before the rash appears through four days after.
"If one person has it, 90% of the people nearby who are not vaccinated may become infected," Walkes said. Measles can survive in the air and on surfaces up to two hours after an infected person has left the area, she said.
Measles can lead to severe complications. Around 1 in 5 unvaccinated measles patients are hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Around 5% of children with the disease develop pneumonia. Life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, happen in rare cases.
An unvaccinated child in West Texas with measles died this week, marking the first measles death in the United States since 2015.
"I want to emphasize to everyone listening that vaccination remains the best defense against this highly contagious and deadly disease," Mayor Kirk Watson said at the news conference.
The CDC recommends that children receive the first of two doses for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at between 12 and 15 months of age. A second dose is recommended between ages 4 and 6. Walkes said infants as young as six months may receive a dose if they will be traveling internationally or are in an area with an outbreak. She said if an outbreak develops locally, APH may consider urging vaccination for those younger infants.
Walkes said the measles vaccination rate across AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County is above 90%, but pointed out that some local schools have lower rates, increasing the risk of an outbreak. KUT previously reported that Austin ISD's MMR vaccination rate for incoming kindergarteners was 83.67% last school year.
When asked about South by Southwest, which starts in a week, Watson said he wants people to check their vaccination status.
"Part of the reason we're doing this and we're doing this now � as you know, this [news conference] was scheduled before we heard of the one case � is so we could get the word out," the mayor said.
Walkes said her team has been working with festival organizers, but since the area does not have a local measles outbreak, her agency is not recommending any additional protocols.
Congressman Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, speaking about the West Texas outbreak, criticized recent remarks from new U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
"This is the largest measles outbreak in 30 years in our state," he said at the news conference. "Health Secretary Kennedy's dismissive comments � � ignores this rapid spread and the danger that it poses."
