BROWNSVILLE – Cameron County’s medical experts said they remain focused on their duties while combating the threat of Zika.

They said the urgency of dealing with other deadly disease such as measles and mumps are very much on their list of priorities.

Dr. James Castillo, a Baylor college of medicine infectious diseases researcher, said Texans are at a real risk of a measles outbreak due to declining vaccinations in the state.

He said it’s easier for the measles virus to spread if less people decide to get a vaccine to prevent an infection.

Local health departments are mostly immune to the political rhetoric driving anti-vaccination movements. They’re mostly occupied by taking care of families and children in need.

Dr. Castillo said the threat of bringing back old diseases exists.

“We’re becoming way more interconnected. And in other parts of the world these viruses do exist,” he said.

Dr. Castillo, a Rio Grande Valley native, said he wants to make sure everybody has access to vaccines. He said the Zika virus and the measles are both currently at the medical forefront.

The physician said Cameron County is managing increased demands on their resources from Zika as well. However, he said they’ll need reinforcement if there is a sustained strain on resources in staffing levels and funding.