Measles case reported in Mexia ISD a "false alarm," Texas DSHS says
MEXIA, Texas - The Texas Department of State Health Services says Mexia ISD's report that the district had a case of measles was not correct.
A post from Mexia ISD superintendent Ryder Appleton on social media and the district website on Thursday afternoon said there had been one confirmed case of measles within the district.
DSHS calls the case a "false alarm" after a report of what was thought to be a case of measles.
Mexia ISD posted that school will be closed on Friday to conduct a comprehensive cleaning and sanitation of all campus and buses.
Mexia ISD issues new statement
What's New:
On Thursday evening, Mexia ISD issued a statement clarifying that it was rather a case of rubella.
In a press release, the district said "a person within the district" notified the nurse that they had been "diagnosed with measles."
The district says the nurse followed up with the person's doctor and confirmed it was actually a case of rubella, sometimes known as the German measles.
Mexia ISD said it still planned to remain closed on Friday to mitigate any possible spread.
What is rubella?
Dig deeper:
Rubella is a highly contagious illness caused by the RuV virus.
Symptoms of rubella usually start with a rash on someone's face before it migrates to the rest of the body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Rubella can be spread through coughing, sneezing or touching infected surfaces.
While anyone can get rubella, serious complications for adults and children are rare.
However, the disease is most serious in pregnancies.
Rubella in pregnant woman can lead to a miscarriage or an infant born with several birth defects.
According to the CDC, rubella is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable birth defects. There are no medications to treat rubella, but there is a vaccine available for it, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
Are rubella and measles the same thing?
No.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, both diseases give you a rash and other similar symptoms, but they are caused by different viruses.
Currently, fewer than 10 people in the U.S. contract rubella each year.
In 2024, there were nearly 300 measles cases in the U.S., the CDC reports.
Texas Measles Outbreak 2025
What's next:
The Texas Department of State Health Services is expected to release the latest numbers about the measles outbreak in Texas on Friday.
This number is expected to also include the confirmed case of measles reported in Rockwall County on Wednesday afternoon.
Why you should care:
Texas has seen its first death in this year's measles outbreak that has infected more than 120 people across the state since late last month.
This is the first death in the U.S. caused by measles since 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
North Texas had its first confirmed case of measles this year, but officials do not believe that it is connected to the outbreak in West Texas.
The case in Mexia comes as measles continues to spread in West Texas.
An unvaccinated child in Lubbock died of the disease this week, according to state officials.
Texas child becomes first to die of measles in U.S. since 2015
Officials say the school-aged child was not vaccinated and was hospitalized in Lubbock last week after testing positive for measles. This is the first death in the U.S. caused by measles since 2015, according to the CDC.
It is the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015, according to the CDC.
The backstory:
State health officials say the outbreak is the largest in the state in nearly 30 years.
Since late January, 125 cases of measles have been identified across 9 counties, with 18 people being hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. There have been 34 new cases reported in the region since Friday.
State health officials said five of the reported cases were in patients who were vaccinated. The rest were reported in either unvaccinated people or those whose vaccination status was unknown.
The measles virus can survive in the air for up to two hours, so the times listed include two hours after the individual left that location.
Measles symptoms can begin 7 to 21 days after an exposure.
What is measles?
RFK Jr. on Texas measles outbreak
Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks about the measles outbreak in Texas that has killed a child.
Why you should care:
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
Measles virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
Measles: Your questions answered
State health officials say the 2025 measles outbreak is the largest in the state in nearly 30 years. Here are some of the most common questions about the illness and the answers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Illness onset (high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes) begins a week or two after someone is exposed. A few days later, the telltale rash breaks out as flat, red spots on the face and then spreads down the neck and trunk to the rest of the body.
A person is contagious about four days before the rash appears to four days after. People with measles should stay home from work or school during that period.
The Source: Information on the new case in Mexia comes from Mexia ISD. Information on the deadly measles case comes from the City of Lubbock. Other information about measles comes from the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of State Health Services.