Map shows measles outbreak has expanded to 3 states

The measles outbreak that began in West Texas has expanded to New Mexico and Oklahoma, a Newsweek map shows.

Newsweek has contacted health departments for all these states, via email, for comment.

Why It Matters

Measles is an airborne, “extremely infectious, and potentially severe rash illness,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed.

Two people in the U.S. have died as a result of the measles outbreak in 2025: an unvaccinated child in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico.

Cases in New Mexico and Oklahoma have been linked to the original outbreak in rural West Texas.

What To Know

Some 223 cases have been reported in Texas, according to a Texas Department of Health Services update from Tuesday.

There are 33 reported cases in New Mexico, and two cases in Oklahoma, according to respective state health departments.

Both states have linked their cases to the West Texas outbreak, the New Mexico Department of Health’s communications director Robert Nott saying: “We consider this a regional outbreak of measles that has been linked geographically and by the strain identified through genome sequencing.”

Oklahoma’s health department spokesperson, Erica Rankin-Riley, told Newsweek: “[The cases] are linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreak, as the reported exposure occurred there; however, we don’t have a tie to an actual lab-confirmed case.”

In all three states, the majority of cases are among unvaccinated people, many of them children.

Newsweek has broken down official advice on vaccines and boosters here.

What People Are Saying

New Mexico Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said: “Any measles diagnosis is a concern, and we are watching every case closely. We are heartened by the number of New Mexicans getting vaccinated in response to this outbreak.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health told Newsweek: “The OSDH investigates all reports of suspected measles thoroughly and immediately. During our recent investigation, OSDH was able to discern that there was no risk to the public with either of these cases. This means that neither of the individuals was in a public setting during their incubation or contagious period, preventing the risk of community spread. If a risk of spread to the public is identified, the OSDH will notify the public and share any information necessary to protect Oklahomans’ health.”