The Texas Department of State Health and Services (DSHS) has been tracking an ever-growing measles outbreak that has nearly doubled in the last two weeks.

When first reported on Feb. 5 in Gaines County, officials warned there would be additional cases.

“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities,” the alert said.

The outbreak is the worst outbreak in decades and now the highly contagious disease has spread into New Mexico.

MEASLES OUTBREAK CONTINUES TO WORSEN AMONG KIDS IN THIS US STATE

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is testing residents and has confirmed three cases just last week, bringing their total to eight.

The cases meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s outbreak criteria due to the three unrelated cases in Lea County, bordering Gaines County.

Although the New Mexico outbreak is close in proximity, a connection remains unconfirmed. 

“We are investigating every suspected case, and we encourage sick individuals with symptoms consistent with measles to seek medical care,” said Dr. Chad Smelser, NMDOH Deputy State Epidemiologist. 

Viral disease. Measles rash on the body of the child. Allergy. (iStock)

TEXAS CONFIRMS GROWING MEASLES OUTBREAK AFFECTING SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Like with many other cases, six of the eight infected were not vaccinated. There are four adults and four minors. Two of the adults say they believe they were vaccinated as children.

NMDOH has notified potentially exposed individuals and is providing prevention guidance. They have released a statement containing a list of locations warning people that if they visited during specified times they may have been exposed.

Health officials are investigating a measles outbreak in Texas. (iStock )

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Lea County is offering free no-appointment-needed vaccinations at five public health vaccination clinics over the next two weeks.

A vaccine for pancreatic cancer could serve as a promising new therapy.

At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York, an experimental approach to treating the cancer with a messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutic vaccine “continues to show potential” in reducing the risk of the disease returning after surgery, according to a press release.

Results from the phase 1 clinical trial, published in the journal Nature, revealed that the vaccine triggered an immune response in a small patient group.

CANCER VACCINE SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS FOR CERTAIN PATIENTS

This immune-cell activation persisted for nearly four years after treatment, the release stated.

Patients who received the vaccine and showed an immune system response were more likely to remain cancer-free by their three-year follow-up.

Vinod Balachandran, MD, principal investigator of the trial and senior study author at MSK, stated his optimism about the efficacy of this treatment.

“We find that with RNA vaccine technology, we can teach the immune system to recognize pancreatic cancer, and this immune response could potentially last for many years,” he said. 

“The ability to trigger a robust, long-lasting immune response is a requisite feature for any cancer vaccine.”

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As pancreatic cancer is “difficult to treat,” Balachandran shared his surprise that the immune system responded in some patients.

“We are encouraged to see that our approach can teach the immune system to recognize pancreatic cancer, that the immune response is potent and that it may potentially impact patients,” he said.

“The ability to trigger a robust, long-lasting immune response is a requisite feature for any cancer vaccine.”

“Although the findings are promising, these vaccines are still in the early stages of testing,” Balachandran said.

The team is planning a larger study “to further test these therapeutic cancer vaccines in patients with surgically removable pancreatic cancer.”

Therapeutic vaccines target early stages of cancer, where tumors can be surgically removed and haven’t spread. (iStock)

Of the 16 participants, the vaccine stimulated an immune response in half of them. The cancer vaccine was personalized for each participant to target specific proteins found in their form of the disease.

The patients also received an immunotherapy drug (atezolizumab) and standard-of-care chemotherapy after receiving surgery.

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Therapeutic cancer vaccines like this one, referred to as autogene cevumeran, are meant to treat the cancer instead of preventing it, by training the immune system to “recognize cancer cells as foreign,” according to the researchers.

Patients who had an immune response to the vaccine were more likely to have reduced cancer risk by their three-year check-up. (iStock)

The vaccine is meant to target early stages of cancer that have not spread, where tumors can be surgically removed, to “help delay or prevent recurrence.”

Balachandran noted that this approach could potentially be applied to other forms of cancer as well.

“If you can do this in pancreatic cancer, theoretically you may be able to develop therapeutic vaccines for other cancer types.”

“For patients with pancreatic cancer, our latest results continue to support the approach of using personalized mRNA vaccines to target neoantigens in each patient’s tumor,” he said.

“If you can do this in pancreatic cancer, theoretically you may be able to develop therapeutic vaccines for other cancer types.”

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Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, as only about 13% of patients are alive five years following diagnosis, according to MSK and the American Cancer Society.

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Common therapies like chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapies are “largely ineffective” against pancreatic cancer, MSK stated, which makes new therapies “urgently needed.”

As bird flu outbreaks affect poultry farms in multiple states, and with several recent cases emerging in humans, experts are weighing in on best practices for egg preparation.

Professor Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiology expert at King’s College London, took to Instagram to tell his audience that eggs are safe to eat when taking proper precautions. 

Eggs provide nearly every essential vitamin and mineral, including vitamin A, B12 and selenium, along with high-quality protein, according to the doctor. 

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“The yolk is especially rich in choline, a crucial nutrient for brain health, and eggs are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D,” he wrote in the Instagram post.

More than 23 million egg-laying chickens in the U.S. have been lost due to bird flu outbreaks since the start of 2025, according to USDA market analysis — but that doesn’t mean eggs are unsafe to eat, Spector said.

“In the unlikely event that a contaminated egg made it to your kitchen, cooking it thoroughly to 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills the virus completely.”

While the outbreaks affect poultry farms, “the actual risk from eggs remains minimal,” he wrote. “Infected hens don’t lay eggs, and commercial farms cull these affected flocks before the eggs ever reach stores.”

Even so, there are ways to ensure that eggs are prepared as safely as possible.

“Even in the unlikely event that a contaminated egg made it to your kitchen, cooking it thoroughly to 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills the virus completely,” said the professor in the video. (See the video at the top of the article.)

Thoroughly cooking eggs to 165°F kills the bird flu virus completely, the doctor said. (iStock)

Registered dietitian and food blogger Lauren Harris-Pincus, based in New York, agreed that eggs are safe to eat without concern when they are cooked through and the white and yolk are fully set.

“For casseroles with eggs and meat or poultry, cook to 165 degrees Fahrenheit,” she recommended to Fox News Digital.

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When it comes to egg-based dishes, such as a quiche or a frittata, the dietitian said the internal cooking temperature should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another common question Spector hears is whether it’s necessary to wash eggs when they look dirty, he said in his video.

Eggs are safe to eat without concern when they are cooked through and the white and yolk are fully set, according to a registered dietitian. (iStock)

“The answer is no,” said the professor. Washing them further with water damages a protective layer, which makes it more likely that any viruses or bacteria will enter the actual egg.

Harris-Pincus also cautioned that bacteria could enter through the pores of the shell itself. 

“Washing eggs isn’t recommended because it compromises the integrity of the shell, potentially allowing bacteria into the pores.”

“Washing eggs isn’t recommended because it compromises the integrity of the shell, potentially allowing bacteria into the pores,” she said.

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When a chicken lays an egg, it already has a protective coating on the outside, according to the USDA website. Further washing can actually increase the risk of contamination.

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“Government regulations require that egg processors carefully wash and sanitize USDA-graded eggs using only compounds meeting FDA regulations for processing foods, and at temperatures that prevent wash water from being ‘sucked’ into the egg,” the site reads.

Dirty water from washing the eggs can be “sucked” in through pores in the shells, so it’s best to avoid excessive cleaning, the USDA says. (iStock)

If there is still dirt on an egg, the best way to clean the outer shell is to simply wipe it with a cloth before cooking, according to Spector.

“If you’re using good food-handling practices [and] cooking eggs properly, then the risk is extremely low,” he said in the video.

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The bigger issue, he added, is the impact of outbreaks on food supply, prices and farming.

“But when it comes to food safety, the science is clear: Eggs remain a safe and nutritious choice.”

Two widely touted Alzheimer’s drugs have been shown to enable patients to remain in their homes, living independently, for longer periods of time.

Those medications, while effective, are not without their risks and side effects, however.

That’s according to a recent study published last week in the Alzheimer’s Association journal.

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed how long 282 Alzheimer’s patients were able to continue living independently after taking two specific treatments: lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla).

Both FDA-approved medications are designed to remove amyloid beta plaques from the brains of people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, potentially slowing the rate of cognitive decline.

Patients who took lecanemab extended their time at home for an additional 10 months, while donanemab enabled them to live independently for eight more months, according to a WashU press release.

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On average, a patient with mild symptoms could expect to live independently for another 29 months without treatment, 39 months with lecanemab and 37 months with donanemab, according to the release.

These results were based on patients who began treatment with “very mild symptoms.”

“If you think of the cost and consequences of not being able to live independently, this may be significant to many older adults.”

“Using the data from the clinical trials, we calculated that, for an average patient with very mild symptoms due to Alzheimer disease dementia, treatment with either lecanemab or donanemab would be expected to extend independent living for around one year,” senior author Sarah Hartz, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, told Fox News Digital. 

“If you think of the cost and consequences of not being able to live independently, this may be significant to many older adults.”

On average, a patient with mild symptoms could expect to live independently for another 29 months without treatment, 39 months with lecanemab and 37 months with donanemab. (iStock)

This study gives patients and their families a way to translate clinical trial findings into meaningful outcomes, according to Hartz.

“For example, if a patient is considering taking lecanemab or donanemab to treat their AD, part of the discussion with their doctor can be how long they would expect the drug to prolong their independence, both in terms of being able to live independently and being able to independently care for their own bodies.”

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The purpose of the study is not to advocate for or against these medications, Hartz noted in a press release. “The purpose … is to put the impact of these medications into context in ways that can help people make the decisions that are best for themselves and their family members.”

Christopher Weber, Ph.D., senior director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, was not involved in the study but shared his input with Fox News Digital.

Anyone considering these treatments should have an “in-depth conversation” with a doctor about the potential benefits and weigh them against the “significant risks” involved, according to a doctor. (iStock)

“This study suggests that these drugs have a clinically meaningful impact for early Alzheimer’s patients and their families by providing more time in the early stages of the disease, when patients have more functional independence,” he said.

The study findings highlight the importance of starting treatment early to maximize the potential benefits, according to Weber, as starting at a more advanced point resulted in fewer months of independence.

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“The advances we’re seeing in Alzheimer’s treatments build upon decades of research, and underscore the importance of continued innovation and investment in this field in order to better understand the underlying biology and trajectory of the disease, detect it earlier, and effectively treat and prevent it,” he added.

Potential risks and limitations

The biggest limitation of the study, according to Hartz, is that the participants were very dedicated to Alzheimer’s research and were typically highly educated. 

“We don’t know how well our findings translate to the rest of the population,” she acknowledged.

Both FDA-approved medications are designed to remove amyloid beta plaques from the brains of people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, potentially slowing the rate of cognitive decline. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Dr. Chris Vercammen, a board-certified internal medicine physician who specializes in geriatrics and palliative care, emphasized that while the two drugs can extend periods of independence for people with Alzheimer’s, “lecanemab and donanemab do not stop or reverse Alzheimer’s disease.”

“It’s also important to understand that these new drugs are only beneficial for individuals in the early stages of the disease,” the doctor, who is also medical director at Remo Health in California, told Fox News Digital. (Vercammen was not involved in the new study.)

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Anyone considering these treatments should have an “in-depth conversation” with a doctor about the potential benefits and weigh them against the “significant risks” involved, according to Vercammen.

“These risks include the possibility of serious side effects, such as brain swelling and bleeding, as well as the substantial financial costs associated with treatment, even if you have insurance coverage,” he cautioned.

“These new drugs are only beneficial for individuals in the early stages of the disease.”

For people that may benefit from these treatments, Hartz recommend that they talk to their doctors and review the potential risks and benefits.

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“This information could help contextualize how the medications may benefit them in terms of independence,” she added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the makers of Leqembi and Kisunla to request comment.