The first case in North Texas was confirmed on Wednesday and a sixth case was confirmed Tuesday in Bell County.

HOUSTON — Texas health officials have confirmed another case of measles in Denton County, bringing the total number statewide to seven.

We’ve also learned the five Houston-area victims might be connected. An 18-month-old Galveston boy may be linked to three Harris County cases: Two toddlers and a woman between 25 and 35 years old.

The Galveston toddler has relatives in Houston and spends a lot of time here. He had the first dose of the MMR vaccine but he's too young for the second.

The 1-year-old girl in Montgomery County is also connected to at least one of the Harris County patients.

Measles is highly contagious, and if one person has it, 9 out of 10 people around that person will also become infected if they’re not yet vaccinated. About 1 out of 4 people who get measles will be hospitalized.

"It takes 2-3 weeks for the full incubation period. If we start to see more cases then, I think we have some real concerns." said Dr. Philip Keiser, an Infectious Disease Specialist with the Galveston County Local Health Authority.

Health officials attribute recent cases around the country to the growing number of parents in the anti-vaccination movement..

Dr. Keiser says everyone should be vaccinated against the highly contagious air-borne illness.