LAUREL — A century ago today, the Laurel Public Schools closed for a week due to an outbreak of scarlet fever and measles.

On April 1, 1925, the school closure was a minor note in theLaurel Outlook, sandwiched between social gossip.

Watch the story here:

“It was like, you know, Mr. and Mrs. Smith went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Jones and here's what they had for dinner. And the column was this long. And then right in the middle of it was, oh, and by the way, school was canceled because of an outbreak of measles,” editor of the Laurel Outlook Jaci Webb said on Tuesday. "Then the very next sentence said the picture show was also canceled."

This retrospective comes thanks to a column in the Laurel Outlook that highlights significant events over the past century, compiled by long-time staffer Stacey Osborne, who meticulously searches old newspapers for relevant information.

“(The column) is done by Stacey and she has been at the Outlook for over 30 years," Webb said. "She goes through meticulously newspapers.com and she looks for items that are relevant today.”

Fast forward 100 years, and measles is again a public health concern in the United States. Dr. Neil Ku, an infectious disease specialist at Billings Clinic, describes measles as “one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to mankind.”

According to Ku, the pathogens can linger in the air for extended periods. For every one contagious person, up to 18 others can be affected.

"Compared to let's say, COVID-19, even though we just came out of the pandemic, we're talking about two to three (people susceptible). So, it's definitely much more contagious,” Ku said.

Currently, an outbreak in Texas has resulted in over 420 cases and is spilling into surrounding states. Ku warns that Montana could see localized outbreaks as well.

“It's going to be pockets of Montana where we're probably going to see cases,” Ku said. "Our hope is that's not going to revert back to before, you know, before the 1960s. And, you know, hearing some of the accounts of, you know, what happened before the availability of the vaccines, there were a lot of, a fair bit of hysteria."

In 1925, there was no vaccine for measles. Today, vaccination remains the most effective method of protection. However, recent declines in vaccination rates have raised alarms among health officials.

“Getting as many individuals up to date on vaccinations is going to be the best protection,” Ku stated. "70% of the cases involve those individuals who are age 18 and younger."

According to the CDC, in 2000, the United States eliminated measles, with new infections only linked to international travel.

"To say, to actually say, I've seen a case of measles, no, and this is kind of a consequence of being so successful in eradicating measles in the US, is that we don't see it," Ku said. "What makes West Texas a little bit more concerned is that it's not an imported case, and that the case has been continuing to grow for the last several weeks."