Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting the measles outbreak in Texas has ended.
The outbreak of measles in West Texas reached a ceiling of 762 cases before the state declared the outbreak over.
"Public health professionals consider a measles outbreak over after 42 days with no new cases because that is double the disease’s maximum incubation period," a statement from the state read, or "the longest time it can take between when a person is exposed to the virus and when they get sick."
The outbreak originated in January in a West Texas county, and the cases quickly rose but plateaued at 762 cases over a month ago.
Two children died in connection to the outbreak. Both were unvaccinated. A total of 99 people were hospitalized.
The state stressed that just because the outbreak is over in Texas, the threat is still very real—due to the ongoing outbreaks across the country and globally.
"The end of this outbreak does not mean the threat of measles is over," officials emphasized. "Health care providers should continue to be vigilant and test for measles if their patient has symptoms compatible with the virus."
Monitoring for new cases continues, but for now, the West Texas outbreak has ended.
