Burnet County Health Authority warns of potential measles outbreak
Measles is a highly contagious virus that causes flu-like symptoms and a distinct rash. The Burnet County Health Authority has begun to receive reports of suspected cases of the virus in the area. Adobe Stock image
Two suspected cases of measles have been reported in Burnet County since Feb. 27. One case tested negative and the result for the other is pending, but the local health authority is warning that an outbreak of the virus is likely.
Texas is ground zero for the current measles outbreak, with a reported 159 cases across the state as of Tuesday, March 4. According to Burnet County Health Authority Dr. Juliette Madrigal, Burnet County will probably see its fair share of cases due to the highly contagious nature of measles and the number of potentially unvaccinated children in the area.
“Measles is the most contagious virus that I’ve ever heard of,” Madrigal told DailyTrib.com in a March 4 interview. “I would be flabbergasted if we don’t have a measles outbreak out here.”
As the Burnet County Health Authority, Madrigal is tasked with administering state and local laws and policies relating to public health in the county. Her duties include tracking and reporting the spread of contagious, infectious, and dangerous diseases, like measles. She has served as the county’s health authority since the position was formed in 2005, having been appointed by the Burnet County Commissioners Court.
Madrigal received word of a potential measles case on Feb. 27, reported from an urgent care facility in Marble Falls. Testing on the middle school-age patient came back negative for the virus.
She received another report on Tuesday from the same urgent care facility concerning a 12-month-old child. The test result of that case is still pending, but the child was unvaccinated against the disease as the vaccine cannot be administered until after 12 months of age.
Even if the second test comes back negative, Madrigal said measles still will likely make its way into Burnet County. Her reasoning is based on the disease’s high R naught rating, which measures the capacity for it to spread from one person to a number of others, and the high number of listed “conscientious exemptions” to vaccinations at area schools.
Going by R naught measurements, one carrier of measles will likely infect 12-18 susceptible individuals. An infected person is contagious for up to four days before symptoms start to show and becomes even more contagious once the flu-like symptoms present.
“If you have measles, up to 90 percent of the people close to you, who are not immune, will also become infected,” reads a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “An infected person can spread measles to others even before knowing they have the disease. You can spread measles to others from 4 days before through 4 days after the rash appears.”
Measles is primarily spread through direct contact with moisture produced from an infected person or by consuming airborne droplets from coughing, sneezing, or even breathing.
Madrigal noted that the relatively high number of conscientious exemptions at Burnet County schools could play a factor in the spread of the virus. A conscientious exemption is an exemption from Texas immunization policies due to a reason of conscience, such as religious beliefs or ideals. Under these exemptions, children do not have to receive vaccinations against common diseases, like the measles.
Faith Academy of Marble Falls had the third-highest percentage of conscientious exemptions for any school in Texas in the 2023-24 academic year at 39.49 percent. Burnet Consolidated Independent School District was at 4.81 percent and Marble Falls Independent School District at 3.6 percent.
For comparison, Austin ISD was at 2.31 percent, Llano ISD at 3.02 percent, Llano Christian Academy at 2.3 percent, Blanco ISD at 5.71 percent, and Johnson City ISD at 9.09 percent.
“If (parents) decide not to vaccinate, that’s their choice, but they should learn what the risks and benefits are,” Madrigal said. “At this point, though, I would definitely get the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) for my kiddos.”
To learn more about the MMR vaccines, visit the CDC’s website.
What is measles and what are the risks?
Measles is an airborne virus that causes flu-like symptoms and a severe rash. It is considered to be extremely infectious, but current vaccination methods guarantee roughly 97 percent immunity.
Prior to the development of an effective vaccine in the 1960s, measles infected an estimated 3 million to 4 million Americans every year, with an average of 48,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths.
One death thus far has been reported in the 2025 outbreak, in Lubbock, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Measles was considered eradicated in the United States in 2000 after the disease was controlled for a full 12-month period. The eradication was attributed to an aggressive vaccination program implemented in the 1970s and 1980s.
Measles cases have not been totally absent in recent years, with 285 cases reported in 2024, 59 cases in 2023, and 121 cases in 2022.
The largest outbreak in recent history was in 2019, with 1,274 reported cases.
I’m sure glad my kid is vaccinated. Good luck to the rest of you ‘freedom fighters.’