NEWS
Hidalgo County inmate tests positive for measles
Diagnosis is New Mexico's first confirmed case of 2026
Published
A federal inmate at the Hidalgo County Detention Center tested positive for measles, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
"The patient, whose vaccination status is unknown, tested positive for measles at the New Mexico Department of Health’s Scientific Laboratory," NMDOH said in the release.
NMDOH has not identified any locations where an exposure may have happened and Hidalgo County is working with the department to ensure all quarantine and vaccination protocols have been followed to minimize the risk of measles spreading.
The man, who is around 30 years old, began experiencing symptoms of measles after he was exposed to someone who potentially had it, according to an employee at the detention center.
The detention center has since been placed on quarantine and began doing video court to prevent the disease from spreading.
The case is the first confirmed in New Mexico in 2026 after a statewide measles outbreak infected 100 people the previous year.
“This new case reminds us that (the) risk for measles did not end following the 2025 statewide outbreak,” Dr. Miranda Durham, NMDOH chief medical officer, said in a news release. “We continue to encourage everyone in New Mexico to be fully vaccinated against measles.”
Hidalgo County — located in southwestern New Mexico — saw no measles cases in 2025.
Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.
