The New Mexico Department of Health announced this week that an unvaccinated adult in southeastern New Mexico tested positive for measles, marking the state’s 18th case this year as the U.S. sees its highest number of cases in more than three decades.
In a news release, the department said Thursday the person was likely infected out-of-state and began developing symptoms after returning to New Mexico. The person may have exposed others between Aug. 6 and Aug. 10 at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, Walmart and the local emergency room in Artesia.
The state Department of Health advised residents to check their vaccination status and report any measles symptoms to their healthcare provider in the next 21 days if they were at any of those locations during that time period. New Mexicans can also call the state Department of Health hotline for guidance at 1-833-796-8773.
Symptoms typically appear within one to three weeks of exposure, according to NMDOH, and begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes. A red, spotted rash often appears on the head or face before spreading down the body. Infected patients are contagious from four days before to four days after the rash appears, NMDOH said.
“With measles still active around the country, the New Mexico Department of Health encourages people to check their vaccination status and get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination if needed,” Chad Smelser, NMDOH deputy state epidemiologist, said in a statement. “Vaccination is the best tool for protection from measles.”
Earlier this year, a federal report commended New Mexico health officials for their communication and vaccine outreach work during a 2025 measles outbreak. Between February and September of 2025, the state logged 100 reported measles infections, signifying the state’s first outbreak since 1996.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report noted that New Mexico saw a more than three-fold increase from 2024 in the number of adults who received the measles vaccine.
The CDC announced in July that measles cases this year have surpassed the entire count for 2025, with the highest number of cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
