Measles is rarely seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in rural West Texas.

Measles can cause seizures, blindness and death, and children under the age of 5 are particularly vulnerable to complications.

The virus was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000. A measles outbreak infecting patients in Texas and New Mexico has turned deadly. An unvaccinated school-aged child died of the virus,

Vaccine hesitancy has been rising for years in the United States. Doctors and parents in one rural county are confronting the consequences.

Measles was considered to be eliminted in the U.S. in 2000, thanks to vaccine developments. But vaccination rates have dropped since the covid pandemic began.

“Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness, which can cause life-threatening illness to anyone who is not protected against the virus. During a measles outbreak, about one in five people who get sick will need hospital care and one in 20 will develop pneumonia,” Texas DSHS said in a news release.