The measles outbreak in Texas continues to grow, with nearly 150 reported cases, and more could be exposed.
The outbreak in West Texas has killed one person, a child, making it the first U.S. measles death in a decade.
State and local health officials say hundreds of thousands of people in San Antonio could have been exposed over Valentine’s Day weekend. A person visiting the area for the weekend later tested positive, KSAT12 reported.
“It’s very possible that this person could have come in contact with, if not hundreds, thousands of our community residents, as well as visitors,” said Anita Kurian, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District deputy director of communicable disease, per NBC News. “We are a destination city. We have real great concern of potential large community wide exposures at these public sites.”
It’s a highly transmissible virus, where one infected person can infect 9 out of 10 people they come in contact with.
As of Friday, 164 cases have been reported nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials say most of the community is vaccinated against the virus, but the threat remains. Vaccination proves to be a controversial, yet effective, measure in combating the virus, as just five of the infected are vaccinated.
Officials expect most cases to be confirmed later this week, as it takes time to see an exposure.
Most of the state’s cases have been among school-age children, with more than 80 percent found in people younger than 18.
