Measles in the Americas: 1,100 confirmed cases to date; Buenos Aires, Mexico City and São Paulo

April 19, 2020

Headlines, Latin America and the Caribbean

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UN health officials are reporting more than 1,100 confirmed measles cases in the Americas through April 10 this year with Brazil, Mexico and Argentina accounting for the bulk of cases.

Western hemisphere map
Public domain image/ E Pluribus Anthony

Between 1 January and 10 April 2020, 7 countries have reported 1,104 confirmed cases in the Region of the Americas: Argentina (54 cases, including 1 death), Brazil (909 cases, including 4 deaths), Canada (1 case), Chile (2 cases), Mexico (124 cases), the United States of America (12 cases), and Uruguay (2 cases).

In Argentina, Genotype D8, lineage MVs/Gir Somnath.IND/42.16/, has been identified in this outbreak with most cases reported in Buenos Aires Province.

Most cases were unvaccinated or undervaccinated.

In Brazil, 909 confirmed measles cases, including 4 deaths have been reported in the first 10 weeks of 2020.

The 9 federal units with active outbreaks in 2020 are: São Paulo with 280 cases (30.8%), Rio de Janeiro with 230 cases (25.3%), Pará with 192 cases (21.1%), Paraná with 113 cases (12.4%), Santa Catarina with 48 cases (5.3%), Rio Grande do Sul with 21 cases (2.3%), Pernambuco with 18 cases (2%), Alagoas with 4 cases (0.4%), and Minas Gerais with 3 cases (0.3%). The genotype identified in the federal units with active outbreaks is D8, linage MVs/Gir Somnath.IND/42.16/.

Lastly, in Mexico, 124 confirmed cases have been reported in 2020 to date with 105 cases in Mexico City, 18 in Mexico State, and 1 in Campeche State.