The measles crisis in western Texas has claimed the life of another child, the second death in an outburst burned through the area and infected dozens of residents on the borders of states.
The 8 -year -old girl died early on Thursday morning of “pulmonary measles failure” at a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, according to records received by the New York Times. It is the second confirmed measles death in a decade in the United States.
The first was a non -vaccinated child who died in western Texas in February. Another non -vaccinated person died in New Mexico after a positive test for measles, although officials have not yet confirmed that measles was the cause of death.
A Trump administration official said on Saturday night that the cause of the girl’s death “is still being examined”.
Since the end of January, when the epidemic began, Western Texas has reported 480 cases of measles and 56 hospitalizations. The outburst has also spread to the limits of the states, ill 54 people in New Mexico and 10 in Oklahoma.
If the virus continues to spread at this rate, the country is in danger of losing its situation for measles, a victory that has won hard in 2000.
Robert F. Kennedy, the Health Secretary of the Nation, faced strong criticism of his handling of the outburst. A vaccine rationale has provided implicit support for vaccination and emphasized the unsafe -tested measles, such as the liver oil.
According to doctors in Texas, Mr Kennedy’s approval for alternative treatments contributed to patients who delay critical care and ingestion of toxic levels of vitamin A.
Experts are also afraid that recent Trump administration decisions to dismantle international public health security and funding by local health departments have made great multi -performance epidemics.
Measles is one of the most contagious pathogens. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room and spreads when a sick person breathes, coughs or sneezing.
Within a week or two from the exhibition, those infected can develop high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Within a few days, an exhaustive rash breaks out as flat, red spots on the face and then spreads under the neck and torso to the rest of the body.
In most cases, these symptoms are resolved in a few weeks. But in rare cases, the virus causes pneumonia, making it difficult for patients, but mainly children, to get oxygen to their lungs.
It can also cause brain swelling, which can leave permanent problems such as blindness, deafness and mental disabilities.
For every 1,000 children taking measles, one or two will die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus also damages the body’s immune defenses, leaving it vulnerable to other pathogens.
Christina Jewett They contributed reports.
