A measles outbreak has continued to spread across Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, with 321 confirmed cases as of Tuesday — an increase of 25 cases from Friday.

Texas is bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with the majority of the cases reported in the state.

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Tuesday reported that 279 cases have been identified since late January, including 36 patients who have been hospitalized. The state has reported one related death of a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. Health officials previously said the child was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions.

Health officials in New Mexico have reported 38 cases. Most of the cases are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and the other cases are in Eddy County.

Oklahoma’s state health department officials previously reported four cases. Two of the probable cases reported last week are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health in Texas, said on Tuesday there is a growing concern that this could be a prolonged public health issue if the spread isn’t contained soon.

“This is going to be a large outbreak, and we are still on the side where we are increasing the number of cases, both because we’re still seeing spread and also because we have increased testing capacity, so more people are getting tested,” Wells said at a news briefing Tuesday. “I’m really thinking this is going to be a year long … to get through this entire outbreak.”

Wells said many of the individuals infected were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, which is fueling the outbreak.

“The uptick for vaccines has been a struggle,” she said.

As of March 14, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its count of confirmed U.S. measles cases this year has surpassed 2024.

Authorities are urging people to stay informed about measles, which is highly contagious but preventable through vaccination.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever might spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

How can you treat measles?

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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