The Bell County Public Health District have confirmed one case of measles in the county.
The county was investigating four cases but only confirmed that one of them was actual measles.
All individuals are children that were either unvaccinated or had not completed the vaccine series.
The child with measles resides in Western Bell County.
The health district said that the child was too young to be vaccinated.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that is preventable with vaccination. If a child were to contract the disease there is no immediate cure.
"Most of the times, treating the fever with your Advil, or ear infection we can put you on antibiotics for that but there is no actual medicine for measles virus to make it go away. Only but time is going to make that go away." Family Medicine Doctor, John McClanahan said.
Usually, children who are in the middle of a vaccine or not at all and the elderly are more at risk.
If contracted the viral infection can usually last for about one to two weeks according to McClanahan but in some cases it can be worse.
"If it turns into a secondary infection such as pneumonia it can kill a child, there is always a complication of getting pneumonia as well." McClanahan
Mixed reviews from Central Texans about whether to vaccinate or not. Having 5 kids, Lucinda Espinosa has vaccinated each time.
"I felt comfortable following through with vaccinations, and they've all been perfectly healthy living lives as adults now." Espinosa said.
Not all choose to vaccinate their kids. The CDC says since the vaccine was approved in the 60's, measles cases have plummeted from 3 to 4 million a year with a 99% reduction only to make a rebound in 2019 especially among pockets of the un-immunized.
"You hear about these vaccinations and shots causing more problems than they do help. So that was a personal decision on our behalf." Brandon Wilkerson said.
If you have signs or symptoms of measles please contact your healthcare provider. Measles can be exceptionally dangerous for young children and infants.
Also on Monday, Harris County confirmed three cases of the measles in their area.
This adds to the national measles outbreak seen across the county. In just Washington state, there have been more than 45 confirmed cases of measles this year alone.
Premier ER and Urgent Care released a statement after a possible measles case in Central Texas. They said they want everyone to be aware of signs to look for.
The health department said there are two other potential cases of measles that are pending as they wait for test results. The children were not vaccinated or did not complete their vaccine series.
The health department said they are taking all precautionary measures to prevent the disease from spreading with five measles cases reported in Harris, Montgomery and Galveston country earlier this week.
Measles is an airborne disease which is highly contagious, but it is preventable. Measles symptoms include a fever, a dry cough, a runny nose, a sore throat and inflamed eyes. Anyone with these symptoms, especially pregnant or nursing, should be evaluated by a physician.
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