The Texas Department of State Health Services reported six measles cases in Williamson County in a statewide report released Friday.
According to the report, the county’s cases are not thought to be connected to the measles outbreak in West Texas at this time.
The Williamson County and Cities Health District has confirmed two measles cases over the past two weeks. Deb Strahler, WCCHD's director of marketing, said Friday that the local public health department has not officially confirmed any additional cases.
"WCCHD is only reporting lab-confirmed positive measles cases at this time � which is still at two cases," Strahler said in an email. "Other cases may be reported as related or positive by DSHS using criteria other than a lab-confirmed test. WCCHD has no other information to share on the two positive lab-confirmed or any other measles cases at this time."
WCCHD went on to explain that DSHS includes cases that are considered "epidemiologically linked� in its report. That's when someone begins showing symptoms after being around a person who tested positive for measles. For instance, if a child has measles, her parents might assume her brother has caught the disease without testing him if he breaks out in a similar rash.
Both cases confirmed by WCCHD were in Leander residents, one an adult and one a school-aged child. The child attends Liberty Hill ISD’s Bar W Elementary School and was contagious between May 15 and May 24, according to WCCHD.
Symptoms of the highly contagious illness include fever, cough, runny nose, white spots in the mouth, and a red rash on the skin. Local health authorities have urged people who suspect they may have measles to contact a doctor before heading to a health facility in person.
