Measles outbreak ends in West Texas, health officials say

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(Reuters) -The measles outbreak in West Texas has ended, state health officials said on Monday, after meeting the criteria of six weeks since the last reported case.

Texas is now shifting focus to vaccination campaigns to strengthen immunity and prevent future outbreaks, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said.

The outbreak, which began in late January, led to 762 confirmed cases as of August 18, with 99 hospitalizations and two fatalities in school-aged children, according to the state's health department.

Texas led a surge in cases nationally, with the United States recording its largest outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.

While the Texas DSHS will continue to monitor the cases, it has decided to discontinue its interactive outbreak dashboard.

"The end of this outbreak does not mean the threat of measles is over. Since there are ongoing outbreaks of measles in North America and around the world, it is likely that there will be additional cases of measles this year in Texas," the DSHS said.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that causes symptoms such as fever, cough and a characteristic rash. It can also lead to severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,356 confirmed measles cases nationally as of August 5, but the updates have been delayed following the August 8 shooting on its Atlanta headquarters, the CDC said.

"We remain in close communication with public health partners and jurisdictions reporting measles and will resume regular data updates as soon as possible," a CDC spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

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