CIBOLO, Texas – The state health department says there is no confirmed measles case in the San Antonio area despite a Cibolo charter school telling parents on Thursday that a viral infection was detected in a first-grade classroom.
Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) spokesperson Chris Van Deusen told KSAT Thursday after 6 p.m. that “there are no confirmed (measles) cases in that area. Just because someone is being tested for measles doesn’t mean they have measles.”
>> What to know about a potential measles exposure in San Antonio area
Van Deusen said the department has been in touch with Legacy Traditional School officials. A school spokesperson told KSAT Thursday that they followed all necessary reporting requirements but refused multiple times to provide more details on how the “confirmation” was determined.
Some media outlets reported the school’s notification that a measles case was confirmed there.
>> Track the latest measles numbers in Texas
When asked about the discrepancy between the school’s statement and the state health department, the school spokesperson did not directly comment multiple times. The school referred KSAT to its original statement (see below).
The state health department described a confirmed measles case as a positive test or a patient with symptoms and a known connection with the virus.
“There are a lot of different illness that cause a rash, and we want people to be thinking about measles, and we want doctors who see a patient with a rash that could be measles to have them tested,” state health department spokesperson Van Deusen told KSAT. “But unless it’s someone who has been around a person with measles, it’s probably going to be something else.”
The school said it is “taking all necessary precautions” following the reported measles case and that are planning to reopen the school on Friday after a “thorough sanitization” of the campus “after school hours.”
When a KSAT crew arrived at the school after 6 p.m. on Thursday, there was no visible activity.
Cibolo Mayor Mark Allen told KSAT in a text message Thursday night that he has been out of town on business duties and is working to gather more information from the school.
When KSAT called the spokesperson for Texas Public Health Region 8 — which oversees counties including Guadalupe, where the school is located — the person answered, referred all calls to Van Deusen and then hung up.
The full statement from the school’s spokesperson is below:
“Legacy Traditional School – Cibolo remains committed to the health and safety of its students and staff and is taking all necessary precautions following the confirmation of a measles case in a first-grade classroom. School officials are working closely with state and local public health authorities to monitor the situation and ensure the well-being of the school community. School will remain open on Friday, Feb. 28, and as an added precaution, a thorough sanitization of the campus will take place after school hours. Families who have been directly notified should continue to follow the guidance provided. We appreciate our community’s patience, trust, and cooperation as we navigate this situation."
The school, which has two other campuses in the area, did not post on its social media pages or website, the spokesperson confirmed.
According to state vaccination numbers for the previous school year, Legacy Traditional Schools-Texas had a 94.5% coverage rate for the MMR vaccine among its kindergarten students.
>> What questions, concerns do you have about measles?
On Feb. 23, the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District announced that a Gaines County resident, who later tested positive for measles, visited San Antonio and surrounding areas during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Health officials confirmed the Gaines County resident visited University of Texas at San Antonio main campus, several River Walk attractions and Mr. Crabby’s Seafood and Bar in Live Oak on Feb. 15.
As of Thursday, Feb. 27, the state said there are no confirmed measles cases in San Antonio.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, Texas Department of State Health Services has identified 124 measles cases in Texas since late January. Eighteen patients were taken to a hospital for further treatment.
An unvaccinated child died from the virus Tuesday night in Lubbock, the first U.S. measles death since 2015.
The department releases new statistics every Tuesday and Friday.
San Antonio City Council’s Community Health Committee will hold its regular meeting on Friday, with a key topic being a briefing on possible measles exposures in San Antonio.
Metro Health is expected to outline the measures taken to address a “current public health threat.”
The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday at the Council Briefing Room inside City Hall in downtown San Antonio, and KSAT will stream it here.
More measles-related coverage on KSAT:
