A second child has died from the highly contagious measles virus as an outbreak in western Texas continues to grow.

The school-aged child was not vaccinated, had no underlying health conditions and was in hospital suffering complications from measles, Aaron Davis, the vice president of UMC Health System, told the BBC.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has faced a backlash over his handling of the outbreak, will reportedly head to Texas this week in the wake of the death.

Texas reported over 480 cases of measles this year as of Friday, a jump from 420 cases earlier in the week. The child is likely the third person to die of measles as the outbreak has extended to neighbouring states.