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Texas health officials have confirmed six measles cases in the Hill Country, including one in Boerne, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Five of the cases involve members of the same household in Bandera County. The sixth person was exposed through contact with that household, state officials said.
“The Bandera County cases are related to a visit to another state with an ongoing outbreak of measles,” said Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Anton said the situation does not currently meet the definition of a larger outbreak.
“This situation does not meet the definition of an outbreak yet because it is just two households,” she said. “All six of these cases are no longer infectious and all were unvaccinated.”
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that typically begins on the face and spreads across the body.
The Hill Country cases come less than a year after a major measles outbreak in West Texas that infected more than 700 people, most of them unvaccinated. Two children died in that outbreak, according to state health officials.
Public health experts say measles cases still appear occasionally in Texas, often linked to travel. Health officials emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective protection against the virus.
The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which provides strong, long-lasting protection.
Officials urge anyone who may have been exposed or who is unsure of their vaccination status to contact their healthcare provider.
