By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, May 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Measles virus popped up in Houston wastewater weeks before a notorious Texas outbreak of the highly infectious disease started in January, a new study says.

Texas health officials reported eight new measles cases on Tuesday, with the outbreak spreading to three new counties. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 717 measles cases amid the largest outbreak in the United States in at least 25 years.

The measles outbreak that began in Gaines County has officially reached the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with two cases now linked to the outbreak. One measles case in Collin County and one case in Rockwall County are now included in the outbreak numbers,