9 New Cases Of Measles Reported In 2 North Texas Counties
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Officials with Tarrant County Public Health confirmed Wednesday afternoon that there are four new cases of measles in the county. That brings the total number of Tarrant County infections to 15.
All of the cases in Tarrant County have been linked to one man who traveled to several European and Asian countries. The man was part of a group doing mission work for the Eagle Mountain International Church – a part Kenneth Copeland Ministries.
Of the 15 cases now confirmed in Tarrant County, health officials say 11 had not been immunized.
Now the North Texas measles outbreak has spread across the county line. The Denton County Health Department confirmed five new cases of measles. But officials say all of the new cases can be traced back to the infected man in Tarrant County.
The five new cases involve a family who lives in the city of Justin. They are all children between the ages of nine and 17. The family worships at Eagle Mountain International in Newark, about 20 miles from Justin.
The individual who initially contacted the disease and traveled back to North Texas was not immunized before going on the multi-nation trip that included stops in Japan, China, France and Germany. Upon returning to North Texas the man unknowingly spread the highly contagious respiratory disease to family and church members.
Denton County Health Department Director Bing Burton had a suggestion for anyone who has not been protected against measles. "The most important thing we have to say is for individuals, for whatever reason, who may have chosen not to be vaccinated, they may want to reconsider that now that we're in the midst of an outbreak."
According to statistics, 95-percent of school aged children have been vaccinated. For any adult or child that has not it important to note that measles is easily be contracted through the air by coughing, sneezing, or simply breathing. Health officials say measles are so contagious that anyone exposed to it, who has not been immunized, has almost a 100-percent likelihood of contracting the disease.
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