The Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) has confirmed the first case of measles in the state, as an uptick across the country has recently been reported by health authorities. 

“The individual became infected with measles in early March and is recovering at home,” according to a statement from the government agency. “Public health officials are working to identity [sic] other locations and persons potentially exposed to the virus.”

TDOH noted that it is also investigating the source of the infection. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MEASLES OUTBREAK

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 300 cases of the highly contagious and potentially fatal illness have been confirmed this year. 

As of March 18, the state of Texas accounted for 279 of the cases, by far the most in the country, with 191 cases being reported in Gaines County alone.

New Mexico has the second-highest number of reported cases, with 36. 

Five cases have been confirmed in California, along with four in Oklahoma.

Georgia, New York and New Jersey have each had three confirmed cases during the outbreak, and Pennsylvania has had two. 

Seven other states have reported one case each of measles. 

FLY SAFELY AMID MEASLES OUTBREAK WITH THESE IMPORTANT TRAVEL TIPS

TDOH echoed the CDC’s message that the best way to prevent measles is to receive the two-dose measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

A vial containing the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is showcased at the Neighborcare Health clinics located at Vashon Island High School in Vashon Island, Washington, on May 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

The outbreak has been a source of debate about vaccines and their effectiveness, with one Texas couple whose daughter died from the illness saying they still would not have vaccinated her against the virus. 

The tell-tale sign of a measles case is a red rash that usually begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Additional symptoms can include fever, headache, cough or congestion. 

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Fox News’ Melissa Rudy and Angelica Stabile contributed to this report. 

A ripped NYPD detective who is becoming a social media sensation for his grueling nightly workouts wants to inspire police across the nation to get in shape.

Eddie Barrett, 35, known as “50Cal” to his hundreds of thousands of followers, recently told Fox News Digital he has never taken a day off from training in 21 years — and said there are no excuses for his colleagues to not be physically fit in the line of duty. (See the video at the top of this article.)

The married father wants his daily vlogs to show police officers that they can juggle work and family life while also making time for the gym.

JILLIAN MICHAELS REVEALS SIMPLE WORKOUT TO EXTEND YOUR LIFESPAN ‘UP TO 7 YEARS’

On his workdays, Barrett wakes up at midnight and heads outside for an ice bath. 

He then drives an hour to the Bronx, where he works with the NYPD’s warrant department, a highly specialized unit that rounds up dangerous criminals wanted for serious crimes.

But before Barrett punches in, the 6’1″ detective hits the gym to pump iron and pound the treadmill.

He then works his regular police shift — from around 3:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. — before driving home, spending quality time with his family and typically getting to sleep no later than 8 p.m.

“Getting my training in is of utmost priority — I’ve been doing this for 21 years.”

On weekends, Barrett gets up at around 3 a.m. and hits the ice bath before working out at his purpose-built home gym so he can free up the rest of the day for time with his family.

And if he’s on vacation, as he was recently in the Cayman Islands, Barrett will pound the sandy beaches in the dead of night with a torchlight strapped to his head — and that’s before his gym session.

Detective Barrett works out in the early morning hours before his police shift. ((Edward Barrett/@50callabz))

“Getting my training in is of utmost priority — my wife thinks I’m crazy, people think I’m crazy, but I’ve been doing this for 21 years,” Barrett told Fox News Digital. 

“And it not only sets the standard for the day, especially first thing in the morning, but it’s just become who I am. It’s just me. No matter where I am, what time I gotta wake up, or whatever I have going on — I will train.”

Inspiring others

Barrett uploads daily videos of his morning routine and workouts to social media, offering words of motivation to his loyal followers.

His goal is to inspire others — police in particular — to get in shape so they can be faster and stronger.

STAY FIT IN YOUR 40S AND BEYOND WITH THESE SMART WORKOUT TIPS

“If [a suspect] wants to run or wants to fight, they will lose, because you’ve trained hard to be at a higher level than them,” Barrett told Fox News Digital. “We’ve got to constantly work for that, because that can decide whether we go home safe or if we get hurt or God forbid something worse happens.”

Said Barrett recently on Instagram in a video that shows him doing sprints before work, “Think you can run from the warrant squad? Think again.”

Barrett uploads daily videos of his morning routine and workouts to social media, offering words of motivation to his loyal followers. (Eddie Barrett/@50callabz)

Barrett said he recommends hybrid training, a fitness approach that involves integrating strength training with cardiovascular exercises. 

The detective often mixes extremely heavy weight-lifting with long or short runs, as well as high-intensity workouts. 

While Barrett said he doesn’t expect other first responders to mimic his stringent routine, he emphasizes the importance of finding the time to be fit for duty. He noted that some police agencies are lowering fitness standards to help plug recruitment gaps.

“You want to have an appearance and a level of confidence in your fitness that demands respect and that always plays in your favor,” Barrett added.

NYPD detective Barrett, also known as 50 Cal, is pictured with wife Sierra and son Henry. He said balancing family, work and fitness is very important to him.  (Eddie Barrett/ @50Cal)

Getting out of bed early is less complicated than people think, according to Barrett.

“Some days are harder than others, right? You just can’t give yourself a second option ever,” he said. “We know what we have to do in life. And life is very short. The days fly by.”

He added, “We have to be the best versions of ourselves, and there’s so much to accomplish in life … And if you don’t give yourself that second option, there is no snooze button. There is no scrolling on social media.”

“We know what we have to do in life. And life is very short.”

The detective does some “mind tricks” in the morning to help him get up, like counting down from three or saying a short prayer.

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“Get your mind going. It makes you think. It makes your brain function. You get that cool plunge. You do things that are difficult first thing in the morning, and before you know it, you’re rocking and rolling,” Barrett said.

Family tradition

Barrett said his goal is to have a lifelong career on the force, following in the footsteps of his late grandfather, who served as a police officer in New Jersey.

Today, Barrett proudly wears his grandfather’s police badge as a necklace.

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During the interview, Barrett’s young son, Henry, noted that he also wants to follow the family’s policing tradition.

“I feel like I live the best life. I really love my life and I tell people even in today’s crazy climate … being a cop is a great job,” Det. Barrett said. “I encourage everybody that’s thinking about it: Go for it.”

Barrett’s training regimen has helped him gain a large following on social media.  (Edward Barrett, @50callabz)

The detective said his strict fitness discipline is what helps him balance his training, work and family life, as well as his own supplements business.

While he wants to sustain his fitness level for as long as possible, Barrett emphasized that family always comes first, and that he cherishes the support he gets from his wife and his father, who lives with them.

“The memories we gather with our families are the most important things in the world.”

“The memories we gather with our families are the most important things in the world,” Barrett said. “And recently, I’ve come to accept that business might not grow as fast, my fitness might not get to the level I want it to, because I would never sacrifice my time with my family.”

Barrett urged others, not just law enforcement members, to develop their own core principles and continue to work hard every day.

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“There’s so much out there for the taking in life, and if you don’t get out there and do it, life is just going to pass us all by,” he added.

“You’re going to be amazed at what you can accomplish.”

Researchers are warning that men who regularly dodge prostate cancer screening appointments are 45% more likely to die from the disease. 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, according to UC San Francisco (UCSF). 

But if screening programs are introduced on a national scale — particularly those that measure levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood — they could give men earlier access to treatment, experts say.

PROSTATE CANCER CASES SPIKE IN THIS US STATE AS DOCTORS SHARE LIKELY REASON

They would thus have a better chance of being cured, according to reporting by news agency SWNS and others. 

Screening can also prevent costly treatments associated with advanced prostate cancer.

That’s according to data from the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).

The study collects information from seven European nations — Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain. It is said to be the world’s largest prostate cancer screening study, said SWNS.

COMMON CANCER TYPE COULD BE DETECTED WITH NEW BLOOD TEST

Long-term data from this entity consistently shows that PSA screening programs can lead to a 20% reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer.

‘Stark contrast’

Now, an analysis of 20-year follow-up data from the ERSPC is the first to look at the link between the consistent decline of screening invitations and men’s risk of dying from this type of cancer.

It reveals a “stark contrast” that emphasizes the potential consequences of screening avoidance.

Of the 72,460 men invited to partake in screenings, around one in six were non-attenders and skipped every appointment.

Researchers from Erasmus MC Cancer Institute at the University Medical Centre in The Netherlands led the analysis, said SWNS.

Of the 72,460 men invited to partake in the screenings, around one in six were non-attenders and skipped every single appointment.

That group had a 45% higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with those who attended screening appointments, according to the findings.

Choosing not to participate in screening is a choice that may be driven by a complex collection of factors, said one expert.  (iStock)

When comparing outcomes with the control group – men who were never invited to have screenings – those who attended the screening appointments had a 23% lower risk of dying from prostate cancer, while non-attenders faced a 39% higher risk, SWNS reported.

Lead study author Renée Leenen, M.D., Ph.D., said the choice not to participate in screening may be driven by a complex collection of factors.

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Said Leenen, who is with the Erasmus CM Cancer Institute in the Netherlands, “It may be that men who opted not to attend a screening appointment are care avoiders — meaning they’re less likely to engage in healthy behaviors and preventative care in general.”

Experts “need to better understand who these men are, why they choose not to attend appointments and how to motivate them.”

She added, “This is the opposite behavior of people who are perhaps more health-conscious and are more likely to attend a screening appointment … Our study identifies that men who were invited for screening, but do not attend screening appointments, are at a significantly higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared to men who were not offered screening or accepted an invitation for screening.”

Long-term data from this entity consistently shows that PSA screening programs can lead to a 20% reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer. (iStock)

Dr. Leenen said that experts “need to better understand who these men are, why they choose not to attend appointments and how to motivate them.”

Doing so, she added, “will help us design population-based prostate cancer screening programs that encourage higher rates of informed participation … Tackling attendance rates in this way could be a big factor in the long-term success of a national prostate screening program,” SWNS reported.

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Urologist Tobias Nordström, M.D., Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said, “We need to better understand why these men might actively choose not to participate in screening, despite being invited to attend, and how this behavior is linked to worse outcomes when they get a diagnosis.”

The findings from the study are scheduled to be presented this weekend at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in Madrid, Spain, said SWNS.

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Fox News’ senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the new study on prostate cancer risks, previously called out the need for regular medical screenings. 

Siegel has emphasized the need to “diagnose it early for better outcomes.”

Angelica Stabile of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

The parents of a young girl who died after contracting measles last month in West Texas are speaking out about their position on the MMR vaccine.

The child, age 6, died on Feb. 26 after being hospitalized in Lubbock, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

The agency stated it was “the first death from measles in the ongoing outbreak in the South Plains and Panhandle regions” — adding that the child was not vaccinated.

NUTRITION IMPACTS MEASLES SEVERITY, RFK JR. SAYS

On March 15, the child’s parents spoke with Children’s Health Defense about the experience in an interview that aired on “Good Morning, CHD.”

The family lives in Seminole, Texas, in Gaines County, which is where the vast majority of measles cases have occurred in the current outbreak.

When the girl, named Kaylee, first got sick, the parents said they figured it was measles because the illness was “going around” in their community.

FLY SAFELY AMID MEASLES OUTBREAK WITH THESE IMPORTANT TRAVEL TIPS

Two days after the girl developed a rash, her mother took her to the doctor, who provided a cough remedy and recommended fever-reducing medication.

Although Kaylee’s measles started to go away, she began developing complications, including a fever that continued to rise, her parents told Children’s Health Defense.

“And then I just noticed one morning that she was saying she was getting very tired, and I was just noticing her breathing wasn’t normal,” the girl’s mother said. “That’s when we decided to take her to the emergency room.”

“We would absolutely not take the MMR [vaccine],” the girl’s mother said. “The measles wasn’t that bad. They got over it pretty quickly.” (iStock)

At the hospital, in addition to measles, Kaylee was found to have pneumonia in her left lung. She was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator.

“I just remember before they wanted to put her on the ventilator that she was very thirsty,” the mother said in the interview. “Her mouth was all sticky and I wanted to give her water, but they didn’t let me.”

The child passed away shortly after that.

MEASLES VACCINES GIVEN LONG AGO COULD BE LESS EFFECTIVE NOW, DOCTORS SAY

The couple’s four other children developed measles after their sister’s death — but all recovered after receiving breathing treatments, the parents said.

Even after their daughter’s death, the parents are not proponents of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR vaccine).

As of March 20, a total of 378 confirmed measles cases had been reported in 18 U.S. states.

“We would absolutely not take the MMR [vaccine],” Kaylee’s mother said. “The measles wasn’t that bad. They got over it pretty quickly.”

The couple said they have not yet received their daughter’s death certificate, noting that it is possible she died of pneumonia rather than measles.

In addition to measles, the Texas girl was found to have pneumonia in her left lung. (iStock)

The girl’s father added that measles could help to “build people’s immune systems in the long run.”

“God does no wrong, and He wanted this to wake people up,” he told Children’s Health Defense. “He’s woken us up for sure, to start a better life and come closer to Him.”

What to know about the MMR vaccine

Texas DSHS has reported that the majority of measles cases have been mostly unvaccinated, school-aged children.

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Measles is a highly contagious virus for those who have not previously been infected or vaccinated, with up to a 90% chance of transmission.

The MMR vaccine is one of the most common childhood inoculations and has been a requirement for school attendance since its development in the 1970s.

As of March 20, a total of 378 confirmed measles cases had been reported in 18 U.S. states, according to the CDC. (iStock)

“The standard recommendation from health authorities like the CDC is a two-dose series of the MMR vaccine,” Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier previously told Fox News Digital.

“For most people, these two doses provide lifelong immunity — about 97% effectiveness against measles.”

Each person’s situation is different and should be weighed carefully after a thorough conversation with a trusted medical team, Saphier added.

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Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and Fox News’ senior medical analyst, also emphasized the importance of measles vaccinations — “particularly with the number of circulating measles cases and underimmunized people coming into the U.S. at a time when there is a big measles surge around the world.”

“The standard recommendation from health authorities like the CDC is a two-dose series of the MMR vaccine.”

For those who are traveling to an area where a measles outbreak is occurring, Siegel recommended they see a doctor for a measles “titer test” and get a booster if they are not showing immunity. (The titer test measures an individual’s level of immunity to the virus.)

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MMR is a live virus vaccine and cannot be given to pregnant women or immunocompromised people, the doctor noted.

As of March 20, a total of 378 confirmed measles cases had been reported in 18 U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.