An adult infected with measles has died in New Mexico, state health officials said Thursday, but the virus has not been confirmed as a cause.
The deceased had not been vaccinated and did not seek medical care, a spokesperson for the state health department said in a statement.
The person's exact age and other details were not released immediately.
The person came from Lee County, crossing a state line in the West Texas area where 159 measles cases were identified and a school-age child died last week.
New Mexico health officials have not linked the outbreak there to the Texas incident.
The person is the 10th in Lee County to confirm measles infection.
Seven people were not vaccinated.
The status of the other three vaccinations is unknown.
Six cases are adults, with the rest being under the age of 17.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that local public health officials began in late January were sending teams to Texas to help respond to the outbreak.
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to 2 hours.
Of the 10 most susceptible people, up to nine will ingest the virus if exposed. According to the CDC.
Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are safe and are extremely effective in preventing infections and severe cases.
The first shot is recommended for children aged 12-15 months and for children aged 4-6 years for the second.
“We don't want to see New Mexicans get sick or die from measles,” said Associate National Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smercer.
“The Measles Mumps Lubera vaccine is the best protection against this serious illness.”
