The once-eradicated measles have been making a comeback in the U.S., and a chunk of the cases are tied to a vaccine-rejecting Texas mega church.
There have been at least 135 undocumented cases of the measles in America this years. The most recent outbreak infected 25 Texans,15 of the individuals are involved with Eagle Mountain International Church. The church is led by pastor Terri Pearsons, who has given public criticisms of vaccines in the past, USA Today reported.
The outbreak originated with a church visitor, who had recently traveled overseas.
Nine children and six adults were infected with the measles; about 12 of them were not properly immunized. The remaining patients had never been vaccinated, although in one case the child was too young to receive the shot.
All of the children who were infected with measles were home-schooled.
"This is a classic example of how measles is being reintroduced," William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told USA Today.
When the church was informed of the outbreak, they promptly opened a vaccination clinic.
"Kenneth Copeland Ministries' position regarding dealing with any medical condition involving yourself or someone in your family is to first seek the wisdom of God, His Word, and appropriate medical attention from a professional that you know and trust. Apply wisdom and discernment in carrying out their recommendations for treatment. This would include: vaccinations, immunizations, surgeries, prescriptions, or any other medical procedures," a church press release stated.
The number of U.S. measles cases has doubled in the past year; this is largely related to foreign travel. New York City recently battled an outbreak that mainly affected members of the orthodox Jewish community. The infections were believed to have been brought over from the U.K., which has been struggling with recent measles outbreaks.
Measles is not the first vaccine-preventable disease to take America by storm. Whooping cough and the mumps have also broken out in recent years. The mumps was prevalent in private schools that had low vaccine requirements, CDC studies reported, via USA Today.
Symptoms of measles pop up between seven and 14 days after the initial exposure, they include: runny nose, dry cough, sore throat, fever, inflamed eyes, sensitivity to light, "Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek," and "Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek," according to MayoClinic.
The infection is extremely contagious, and can be spread through airborne droplets from coughing and sneezing. The germs can live outside of the body for several hours.
*This article has been edited to include a correction
