New Mexico health officials on Wednesday reported an additional two cases of measles at the Luna County Detention Center, bringing the state’s total to 15 infections so far this year — all in detention centers.
The New Mexico Department of Health reports 10 cases in Luna County; three in Doña Ana County and two in Hidalgo County, all among federal detainees. No hospitalizations or deaths have been associated with the cases, according to health officials.
Phone calls and emails to the Luna County Detention Center warden were not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.
The state has deployed vaccination crews to all three facilities to reduce spread. NMDOH Communications Director Robert Nott told Source NM in an email that crews at the detention centers have issued 160 vaccines in Luna County; 287 vaccines in Doña Ana and 43 in Hidalgo.
While the highly contagious virus was reported eradicated from the U.S. in 2000, dropping vaccination rates and occasional outbreaks from travel have meant increased spread in recent years. In 2025, there were more than 2,000 measles cases nationwide, the largest outbreak in nearly four decades. In New Mexico, a string of 100 reported measles infections between February and September 2025 marked the state’s first outbreak since 1996.
Earlier this month, federal health officials highlighted New Mexico’s communication and vaccine outreach during the 2025 outbreak, finding the strategies coincided with a 55% increase of measles vaccinations over the same period the previous year.
This year, 32 states, including New Mexico, have reported measles cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Measles symptoms, which include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a spotty rash on the face, can develop one to three weeks after exposure. People can spread the virtual infection several days before and after symptoms appear.
Health officials urged New Mexicans to check their vaccine status and noted the spring travel period could mean increased spread.
“Measles is very contagious and there have been almost 1500 measles infections reported this year in the United States,” NMDOH Medical Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said in a statement. “The best way to prevent measles infection is to be fully vaccinated.”
