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The Texas Department of State Health Services has not confirmed any new measles infections in Texas this week. The case count linked to the West Texas outbreak remains the same, at 762.
There have been 34 measles infections in Texas this year that state health investigators have not been able to connect to the outbreak.
Two of those unlinked measles cases were in Travis County back in April. They were tied to travel, and no new cases have been reported there since. However, Austin Public Health has confirmed that it has detected traces of the measles virus in wastewater. The positive sample was taken during the first week of July.
“This is just another important reminder on why we all need to get vaccinated against measles,” Austin-Travis County Health Authority Desmar Walkes said in a statement. “While we haven’t experienced an outbreak here in our community, it can only be a matter of time if we leave ourselves unprotected. Getting vaccinated helps to keep you, your family, and your friends safe from disease.”
Wastewater surveillance is used around the world as an early warning system for pathogens, and it became more common during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute maintains a wastewater dashboard that tracks more than two dozen viruses across the state.
Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed more than 1,300 cases of measles in 40 states this year. The Texas outbreak, which has killed two children and sent 99 people to the hospital, makes up well over half of the national case count.
