Measles cases have also spread to neighboring New Mexico, sickening primarily children and teenagers. In San Antonio, the Texas Department of State Health Services said that a possible exposure happened at the University of Texas at San Antonio on February 15. An individual from Gaines County who tested positive for the virus visited the university’s main campus, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Mr. Crabby’s Seafood and Bar and other tourist locations, officials said.
![[Measles can survive in the air for up to two hours. People in San Antonio and San Marco who were exposed to a positive case are being asked to monitor themselves for symptoms, such as a fever and a rash]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/02/24/15/49/AP25052653529724.jpeg)
The department said that anyone at those locations in the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CST and at the restaurant between 6 and 8 p.m. should monitor for symptoms. So far, 99 people have been sickened in the outbreak across Texas and New Mexico, leading to a coordinated response from health authorities who are concerned about how many cases have yet to be detected across the region. Many of the cases have come among unvaccinated people as health officials stress the importance of the vaccine to prevent against the disease that has been eradicated in the U.S.
In San Marcos, less than an hour away from San Antonio, a Gaines County resident visited Texas State University and the Twin Peaks Restaurant on February 14. People near the university from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and at the restaurant from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. may be at risk of developing measles, health officials warned.
People in those areas during those times or up to two hours later should monitor for symptoms. The Hays County Health Department said that those who may have been exposed will be notified by their local health authority. State agencies are working together to investigate potential contacts.
The majority of cases in both states are in younger people, between the ages of five and 17 years old. Measles, which can survive in the air for up to two hours, can cause serious illness and death. Infections can lead to brain swelling and blindness. And, up to nine out of 10 of those susceptible will get the virus if they have been exposed.
The best way to prevent infection is two doses of a vaccine against measles. Clinics have been set up in response to the threat. “Individuals who have not been vaccinated are at greater risk of infection. To minimize the risk of infection and serious illness, individuals should make sure they are vaccinated,” Turner said.
