By Sriparna Roy (Reuters) -Measles cases in Texas rose 3% to 683 over three days, the state's health department reported on Friday, as nationwide cases of the childhood disease approach the 1,000-mark.

The measles outbreak centered in northwest Texas grew to 683 cases and spread to three new counties on Friday, according to health officials. The latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services adds 20 new cases since the agency’s last update on Tuesday.

There have been four measles cases reported in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year: one in Collin County, one in Denton County and two in Rockwall County. State authorities have not officially tied any of those cases to the outbreak that began in Gaines County, and all four appear in the state public health department’s list of “other 2025″ cases.