An unvaccinated New Mexico resident tested positive for measles after their death, health officials said Thursday.
The New Mexico Department of Health identified the person only as a resident of Lea County.
“We don’t want to see New Mexicans getting sick or dying from measles,” Dr. Chad Smelser, NMDOH Deputy State Epidemiologist, said. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease.”
New Mexico has recorded 10 cases — six adults and four children under the age of 17 — in recent weeks. Seven were unvaccinated; the vaccination history of the other three is unknown. All of them reside in Lea County.
Another outbreak is currently occurring in West Texas, where a child died last month to become the first death from measles in the U.S. since 2015. So far, 159 cases have been identified since late January in the Lone Star State. Twenty-two of those people were hospitalized.
Officials suspect there is a connection between the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, but have yet to determine any links. Lea County is on the border between the two states and borders Gaines County, where 107 of the Texas cases originated.
Multiple cases have also been recorded in New York and New Jersey.
According to the United Nations, the Americas are veering toward losing measles elimination status.