An analysis of the measles outbreak in Texas shows how dangerous the virus is

Results

Only six of the 54 patients admitted to the hospital had a condition that would put them at high risk. None of the 54 hospitalized patients were immunocompromised.

Of the 54 people hospitalized, 47 (87 percent) developed measles, including 39 (72 percent) who developed pneumonia, 25 (46 percent) had dehydration, and 21 (39 percent) had diarrhea. Seventeen patients (31.5 percent) developed an infectious disease, a common risk factor for measles, and 28 (52 percent) were treated with antibiotics.

Thirty-eight patients (70.4 percent) required supplemental ventilation to breathe. Thirty-seven (68.5 percent) experienced hypoxia, which is not having enough oxygen to support the body. Four hospitalized patients, all children, required treatment in the intensive care unit. Three had dehydration. Both required intubation and mechanical ventilation. One child died.

(There was a second child who died in the outbreak in Texas, but it occurred after the study period and was not included.)

Of the five adults, four were pregnant women. Two of them gave birth in a hospital and two of their babies were diagnosed with measles. One infant developed symptoms of severe measles meningoencephalitis and was hospitalized several weeks later, before the end of the study period.

With all of this, the authors concluded that “although the prevalence of measles is low, about one in five people with measles currently require hospitalization for pneumonia, dehydration, or other complications, including serious illness or death.”

In 2025, the US recorded 2,288 measles cases, the highest number since 1991. Less than six months into 2026, and the world is close to reaching that number; as of May 28, the US reported 1,983 confirmed measles cases in 40 regions. There have been 30 new epidemics since the beginning of the year. Overall, the country is in danger of losing its status.