Health Officials Confirm Third Measles Case In El Paso

Health officials in El Paso have confirmed a new measles case in the city. The Department of Public Health reported that a male toddler has been tested positive for this viral disease. This is the second toddler who got infected with the virus.

The announcement about the third case of measles in the Texas city came just a week after the first two cases were confirmed, stated the health officials. But they said that there will not be a rapid increase in the measles cases because the immunization rates are high in the city. The health officials also said the second toddler who was infected with the virus was not exposed to the general public.

“Because El Paso’s immunization rates are so high, we don’t expect to see a huge number of cases emerge. We know that the effectiveness of the vaccine, especially after the recommended two doses, is about 97 percent,” Public Health Director Robert Resendes said.

More than 95% of the student population in the city gets vaccinated much before they enter the school. They are given measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

However, the health officials have alerted people who haven't yet vaccinated. According to them, these people are at high risk of getting infected by the virus. They estimated that there is a 90 % chance for these people to get infected by the respiratory disease if they get exposed to the virus.

Measles virus can stay in the air near an infected person for up to two hours. The disease can also spread through sneezing and coughing. So, the health officials urged people to look out for the various signs and symptoms of this illness and get immediate medical service.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of measles are red eyes, runny nose, cough and fever, which will be followed by rashes that spread from the infected person’s head to toe.