A second death may be linked to U.S. measles outbreak, an unvaccinated New Mexico man

An unvaccinated New Mexico antheral who precocious died was recovered to beryllium infected with measles. His decease could beryllium the 2nd successful an ongoing outbreak that has sickened much than 160 radical successful astatine slightest 9 states.

The authoritative origin of decease remains nether probe by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, though its laboratories confirmed that the highly contagious respiratory microorganism was contiguous successful the Lea County man. He did not question aesculapian attraction earlier his death, and nary further accusation was released astir his property oregon identity.

The man’s decease comes a small implicit a week aft Texas wellness officials announced that an unvaccinated school-age kid died successful Gaines County — the archetypal measles-related decease reported successful America since 2015.

Measles was declared eliminated successful the U.S. successful 2000, but declining vaccination rates person led to periodic outbreaks since then, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the aftermath of the Lea County death, New Mexico’s lawman authorities epidemiologist urged residents to get the measles-mumps-rubella, oregon MMR, vaccine, calling it “the champion extortion against this superior disease.”

Of the cases reported truthful far, 95% person been successful unvaccinated radical oregon radical with an chartless vaccination status, according to the CDC.

Texas has borne the brunt of the outbreak with 159 cases and 22 hospitalizations reported arsenic of Tuesday. New Mexico’s Lea County, conscionable crossed Texas’ occidental border, had reported 10 cases arsenic of Thursday.

Southern California has reported 1 lawsuit successful an Orange County infant who landed astatine Los Angeles International Airport connected Feb. 19 aft question to Asia.

“Measles is simply a highly contagious microorganism that tin origin terrible unwellness specified arsenic pneumonia, encephalon swelling and adjacent death, particularly young kids who are not protected,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Orange County wellness officer. “In caller years, 25% of identified measles cases successful the United States were hospitalized.”

Cases person besides been reported successful Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City and Rhode Island, according to the CDC.

The outbreak has proved to beryllium an aboriginal trial for the recently confirmed caput of Health and Human Wervices, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic.

He drew disapproval from immoderate epidemiologists for not powerfully urging each Americans to person an MMR vaccine arsenic soon arsenic the outbreak began successful mid-January.

In a Monday statement, Kennedy said that vaccines “not lone support idiosyncratic children from measles, but besides lend to assemblage immunity, protecting those who are incapable to beryllium vaccinated owed to aesculapian reasons.”

He past said that “by 1960 — earlier the vaccine’s instauration — improvements successful sanitation and nutrition had eliminated 98% of measles deaths.” He said that bully nutrition remains “a champion defence against astir chronic and infectious illnesses” and that the determination to get vaccinated is “a idiosyncratic one.”