All cases involve federal detainees in three different jails<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, March 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) \u2014 Health officials in New Mexico say the state now has six confirmed measles<\/a> cases, including a newly reported case linked to a jail in Las Cruces.<\/p>\n The latest case involves a federal detainee at the Do\u00f1a Ana County Detention Center<\/a>, according to the New Mexico Department of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Officials say people who visited the U.S. District Court building in Las Cruces on Feb. 24 may have been exposed to the virus.<\/p>\n Anyone who was there that day should check their vaccination status and watch for symptoms until March 17, health officials said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe New Mexico Department of Health continues to urge people to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination,” Dr. Chad Smelser<\/a>, the state\u2019s deputy epidemiologist, said. “Vaccine is the best tool to protect you from measles.\u201d<\/p>\n All six confirmed infections so far have been among federal detainees held in local jails, NBC News<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n The first case was identified Feb. 25 at the Hidalgo County Detention Center after a detainee tested positive at the state health department\u2019s laboratory. The person\u2019s vaccination status was unknown.<\/p>\n Two days later, four more cases were confirmed: Another detainee at the same jail, two detainees in the Luna County Detention Center and one detainee in the Do\u00f1a Ana County Detention Center.<\/p>\n Both the Luna County and Do\u00f1a Ana facilities are local jails that also house people detained for federal immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Smelser said vaccination teams have now been sent to all three facilities.<\/p>\n Health officials are “coordinating with all the facilities to assure all quarantine, isolation, testing and vaccination protocols are followed to minimize risk of measles spread,” Smelser said.<\/p>\n Measles spreads through the air and is highly contagious. Early symptoms often include runny nose, fever, cough, red eyes and a blotchy skin rash<\/a>.<\/p>\n Symptoms usually appear 1 to 3 weeks after exposure, health officials say.<\/p>\n These are the first measles cases reported in New Mexico this year. In 2025, a statewide outbreak sickened about 100 people between mid-February and mid-September.<\/p>\n The cases come as measles infections are increasing across the United States.<\/p>\n More than 1,000 measles cases have already been reported nationwide during the first two months of the year, according to tracking data compiled by NBC News<\/em>.<\/p>\n That is nearly half the total number of cases reported during all of last year.<\/p>\n New outbreaks have also been reported in other states.<\/p>\n In Texas, officials recently confirmed at least 14 measles cases inside Camp East Montana, an immigration detention facility located on the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso.<\/p>\n An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told NBC News<\/em> that people who tested positive were \u201ccohorted and separated from the rest of the detained population to prevent further spread.\u201d<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has more on measles<\/a>.<\/p>\n