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New Mexico Department of Health officials reported Friday that the number of measles cases in Lea County had spiked to 30 — three times the number the agency reported a day earlier.
One deceased person has tested positive for measles, but the cause of death remains under investigation, the agency said.
On Thursday, the Department of Health announced there were 10 cases of the viral illness. On Friday, the agency attributed the increase to “cases discovered during epidemiologic investigations” rather than a surge in new cases.
“These cases did not occur simultaneously, but were identified retrospectively, with many detected only after patients had already recovered from their illness,” the agency said in a statement issued Friday. “Health officials emphasize this is not a rapidly expanding outbreak.”
Of the 30 cases, nearly half of the illnesses occurred from Feb. 9-15, the statement said. All the cases are among Lea County residents, and 26 of the 30 were unvaccinated, and 11 are age 17 or younger, the agency’s website said.
Measles is highly contagious — the virus can remain in the air for two hours after an infected person has left the space, the statement said.
“Because measles is so contagious, additional cases are likely to occur in Lea County and the surrounding communities,” the department said on its website.
The department will post updates on the NM Health website every Tuesday and Friday if there are new cases to report.
The Department of Health has scheduled free measles vaccination clinics in Lea County from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 11 at the Hobbs Public Health Office, 1923 N. Dal Paso, and the Lovington Public Health Office, 302 N. Fifth Street.
