Overview

• A collaborative team from Baylor College of Medicine, UTHealth, Rice University, and the Houston Health Department detected measles virus RNA in Houston wastewater on January 7, 2025.
• Two traveler cases confirmed on January 17 validated the sequencing-based surveillance method, which offers early outbreak detection before clinical cases arise.
• The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, highlight the potential of wastewater genomic monitoring to revolutionize public health preparedness.
• While no measles RNA is currently detected in Houston, researchers have expanded monitoring to West Texas, where traces of the virus are now being observed.
• The study underscores the importance of the MMR vaccine as the most effective protection against measles, especially as vaccination rates decline.