Kansas health officials have confirmed 23 measles cases, marking an outbreak for the state as infections in at least 17 states have led to the most cases in the U.S. in a single year since 2019. The Kansas outbreak is spread across 6 southwest counties,

A measles outbreak in Kansas has more than doubled to nearly two dozen cases over the last week, according to state health officials, who said they identified a “possible link” between confirmed cases of the highly contagious illness and a larger outbreak in Texas and New Mexico.

A measles outbreak in Kansas doubled in less than a week to 23 cases and has “a possible link” to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico that have sickened more than 370, the state health department said Wednesday.

Kansas has an outbreak of two diseases — measles and tuberculosis — as lawmakers loosen vaccine requirements for children.

Twenty-three measles cases have been reported in Kansas, and the state health department said they could be linked to an ongoing outbreak that has infected at least 379 people across Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

State health officials worry that declining vaccination rates have left many communities vulnerable nationwide.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed 10 cases of measles in three counties as outbreaks across the U.S. continue to spread in unvaccinated kids.

Kansas health officials are releasing new information Friday in connection to a growing measles outbreak in the southwestern part of the state.

A growing measles outbreak in Kansas has reached 23 cases and may be linked to earlier outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. Ohio is now reporting 10 cases, with wider exposure concerns.