Lus Chavarria comforts her 18-month-old son Liam in February at La Familia Medical Center clinic in Santa Fe before his measles, mumps and rubella vaccination.
Lus Chavarria comforts her 18-month-old son Liam in February at La Familia Medical Center clinic in Santa Fe before his measles, mumps and rubella vaccination.
Wastewater in Deming has tested positive for measles, based on a June 10 sampling by the New Mexico Department of Health.
While the detection can't indicate the timing, location or number of people infected with the virus — nor does it count as an official measles case — the positive wastewater test indicates at least one person in Deming with measles has gone undiagnosed, state Department of Health Medical Epidemiologist Dr. Daniel Sosin said Tuesday in a news release.
"We expect that there may be more cases in Luna County in the coming days,” Sosin said.
The state’s official case count remains at 81, with none yet in Luna County, the department reported, with the large majority in southeastern New Mexico.
However, the news release framed the wastewater results in Deming as "a reminder" for Luna County residents to check their vaccination status for measles, mumps and rubella. Getting the vaccine, health officials say, is the best way to avoid catching the virus.
The state Department of Health has been conducting weekly wastewater measles testing since mid-March in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, Carlsbad, Chaparral, Deming, Las Cruces, Portales, Rincon, Rio Rancho, Roswell and the South Central Wastewater Treatment Plant in Doña Ana County.
