A Dallas County resident has tested positive for measles after visiting three North Texas locations while infectious, prompting health officials Tuesday to warn people who may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus
Dallas County Health and Human Services identified potential exposure locations in Allen, Fairview and Frisco. The possible exposure in Allen occurred at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Chapel from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 14. At Gloria’s Restaurant in Fairview, the possible exposure was from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. At The Revel Patio Grill in Frisco, it was from 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 15 to midnight
Measles spreads through the air, and the virus can remain infectious for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area
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The Dallas County case comes as measles continues to be reported elsewhere in Texas
Texas had 190 confirmed measles cases among residents as of Aug. 19, the latest statewide count available before Tuesday’s Dallas County announcement, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The provisional total included 136 cases in Hudspeth County, 24 in El Paso County, seven in Harris County, six in Rockwall County and four in Montgomery County. DSHS said a subset of cases in Hudspeth and El Paso counties involved people housed in federal detention facilities
The state is also responding to an outbreak in Montgomery County. DSHS said four unvaccinated residents, all members of the same family, contracted measles in July after exposure to a person with the disease who traveled to Texas from another state
North Texas has reported measles cases in recent years. In 2025, DSHS listed three cases in Collin County, one in Dallas County, two in Denton County, one in Rockwall County and four in Tarrant County among Texas cases not associated with the West Texas outbreak
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The West Texas outbreak, which began in January 2025, resulted in 762 confirmed cases, 99 hospitalizations and two deaths among school-age children before state health officials declared it over Aug. 18, 2025. More than two-thirds of the cases were in children
Nationally, measles cases have also risen sharply in 2026. Federal surveillance data remain provisional and are updated as cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Pennsylvania health officials on Tuesday announced two measles-associated deaths, the state’s first related to the disease in 35 years. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said both people who died were unvaccinated
Related:Denton County reports first human West Nile case of 2026 in North Texas
What should people who may have been exposed do?
People who were at one of the three North Texas locations during the listed exposure windows should check their immunity status, Dallas County health officials said
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People are generally considered protected against measles if they have documentation of age-appropriate measles, mumps and rubella vaccination, laboratory evidence of immunity or laboratory confirmation of a previous measles infection. People born before 1957 are also generally presumed to have immunity
Unvaccinated people who were at one of the locations during the exposure periods should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure
Symptoms typically include high fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes and a rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body
Anyone who develops symptoms should stay home and avoid contact with others, officials said. Health officials recommend calling a health care provider or emergency department before arriving and telling medical staff about the possible measles exposure so precautions can be taken to protect other patients
People who may be infectious should avoid public transportation, taxis and ride-share services
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Infants, pregnant people without evidence of immunity and people with severely weakened immune systems are at increased risk for serious complications from measles. Anyone in those groups who may have been exposed should contact a health care provider promptly for guidance
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we know, but it is also highly preventable,” Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Dr. Philip Huang said
Huang urged people who were at the exposure locations to check their vaccination status and monitor for symptoms
“Most importantly, make sure you and your family are up to date on the MMR vaccine,” Huang said. “Vaccination remains our best protection against measles and the best way to prevent further spread in our community.”
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Related:Dallas County reports first heat-related death of 2026
