LOS ANGELES, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is on the ground in the U.S. state of Texas to respond to the growing measles outbreak, the agency said on Tuesday.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has reported an outbreak of measles in the South Plains region of Texas. Currently, 159 cases have been identified in the state since late January. Twenty-two of the patients have been hospitalized.

There has been one fatality in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The child was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, according to Texas DSHS.

Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities, said Texas DSHS. The agency is working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak.

"The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health. By working together -- parents, healthcare providers, community leaders, and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation," said Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Enditem

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