(Reuters) -The Texas health department reported 481 cases of measles in the state on Friday, an increase from 422 on April 1, as the United States battles one of the largest outbreaks of the disease in the past decade.

The deadly measles outbreak in Texas is continuing to rise, now approaching a total of 500 confirmed cases with at least 56 people facing hospitalization since late January, according to health

Measles cases in Texas rose to 400 as the U.S. total reached almost 500 amid the worsening outbreak, officials have said.