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CDC Links Texas-Origin Measles Chain to Utah and Arizona, Putting U.S. Elimination Status at Risk

Officials say the Texas-born transmission must be halted by January to avoid losing the World Health Organization designation.

Overview

  • Health officials disclosed in a recorded call that the Texas outbreak and cases in Utah and Arizona are part of a single transmission chain.
  • The chain began in January within a conservative Mennonite community on the western edge of Texas and spread to Oklahoma and New Mexico before being connected to other states.
  • As of Nov. 13, the CDC has confirmed 1,723 U.S. measles cases in 2025, with 87% tied to a record 45 outbreaks this year.
  • Roughly 92% of reported cases are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, underscoring gaps in MMR coverage.
  • The CDC recently presented outbreak data to PAHO as regional scrutiny grows, with Canada having lost its elimination status, while local U.S. clusters show mixed progress including near-containment in two South Carolina schools and four new cases in Rockland County, N.Y.