An unvaccinated New Mexico resident died of suspected measles

Those who died in New Mexico who have not been vaccinated have tested positive for measles, state health officials said Thursday that it was probably the second fatalest in a growing outbreak that began in West Texas.

Officials have not yet confirmed that measles was the cause of the death, and the person said he did not seek treatment before he died.

The announcement came just over a week after a child died of measles in Gaines County, Texas, the first US death in 10 years.

Ten cases of measles, six adults and four children have been reported in Lee County, New Mexico. It is adjacent to Gaines County, the epicenter of the West Texas outbreak.

The outbreak was a fire trial of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a skeptic of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. His vague response sparked severe criticism from scientists. Scientists say he provided calm support for the vaccine, highlighting unverified treatments for measles, such as cod liver oil.

Instead of broadly praised the vaccine's safety and efficacy, as did past HHS secretaries, Kennedy said the vaccine will help protect against measles, but the decision to receive it was “personal.”

All New Mexico cases involve people who have not been vaccinated or have unknown vaccine conditions. The New Mexico incident has not formally linked to the Texas outbreak, but authorities said Link was “suspected.”

As of Tuesday, the outbreak of measles in western Texas has become ill and 22 people have been hospitalized.

New Mexico health officials have urged residents to get a vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Experts say it's the best way to protect you from this disease. Two doses of the vaccine prevent more than 97% of measles infections.

“We don't want to see New Mexicans get sick or die from measles,” state epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smercer said in a news release.

The measles virus spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes, but it is highly contagious. Each infected person can spread the pathogen to as many as 18 other people.

Within a week or two of exposure, an infected person can develop high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes. Within a few days, a Telltail rash will erupt, initially with flat, red spots on the face, then spreading the neck and torso over the rest of the body.

In most cases, these symptoms resolve within a few weeks. However, in rare cases, the virus causes pneumonia, making it difficult for patients, especially children, to put oxygen into the lungs.

Infection can also lead to swelling of the brain, which can cause permanent damage, such as blindness, hearing loss, and intellectual disability.

For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus also weakens the immune system over the long term and makes the host more susceptible to future infections.

A 2015 study found that measles could be responsible for up to half of all infectious disease deaths in children before the MMR vaccine became widely available.