Texas Patient Diagnosed With Measles Dies

A patient in West Texas who was diagnosed with measles has died. This is the first death reported since the outbreak began in February.

While the age of the patient was unannounced, Lubbock city spokesperson Lauren Adams confirmed the death Wednesday.

The measles outbreak in West Texas has reached 124 cases across nine counties, and now some are saying that the outbreak can and will spread beyond the Texas borders.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Measles as a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 susceptible people will get the virus if exposed.

Children who contract Measles will often recover from it, but in serious cases, children may have the following complications in the later stages: pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and death.

Here's more information on Measles:

• Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
• The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body.
• When the rash appears, a person's fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit.