The news on Wednesday that a Texas child died from the measles is a sign the outbreak that has already infected 124 is dangerous, Dr. Peter Hotez said.

A child in West Texas has died of measles, state health officials said on Wednesday, the first reported U.S. death from the highly contagious disease in a decade, as a Texas outbreak has grown from a handful of cases to more than 130 across two states.

At least 124 cases have been reported since late January, mostly among children and teenagers who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.