Mexico’s Health Secretary, José Angel Córdova Villalobos, announced Mexico’s first measles case, involving a 19-month-old girl who flew in from Paris, France. Health authorities are communicating with all passengers on the Paris-Mexico City flight in an effort to prevent a potential outbreak of the disease in the country.

Pedro Luis Noble Monterrubio, Health Secretary for the state of Hidalgo, said state authorities have intensified “la vigilancia epidemiologica” (vigilance for the incidence, distribution, and control of the disease). The state, and most of the other states in the country, have significantly stepped up vaccinations of Mexican citizens.

Monterrubio warned that measles is a highly contagious viral disease that affects the whole body, causing a skin rash, fever, cough and flu-like symptoms.

The sick child was discovered by authorities last Thursday.

Mexican authorities say the country has not seen a case of reported measles for six years. Vaccination centers have been set up at strategic points in the country, including airports, ports, and bus and train stations.

José Angel Córdova Villalobos said that there is a serious measles outbreak in France, a result of low vaccination rates there. He added that between January and March this year there have been 4,937 cases of measles in France, compared to 5,090 during the whole of 2010. There were over 6,500 cases in 33 European countries during the first three months of this year.

Measles is a viral infection caused by the rubeola virus. It is highly infectious. If the virus enters an area where vaccination rates are low, or where people have never been exposed to the virus, the results can be very destructive. An outbreak in Cuba in 1529 resulted in the death of approximately two thirds of the island’s native population. In 1594 half the indigenous population of Honduras died of the same disease.

It is estimated that over 200 million people have died from measles worldwide over the last 150 years.

According to experts, there are at least 21 different strains of the measles virus.

The signs and symptoms of measles include:

  • A runny nose
  • A cough, usually a dry, hacking one
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Watery eyes
  • Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
  • Sneezing
  • Fever – which may be severe. It often drops when the skin rash appears
  • Small grayish-colored spots with bluish-white centers which appear in the mouth, inside the cheeks, and throat (Kuplik’s spots)
  • General body aches and pains
  • Skin rash – this appear three to four days after the initial symptoms and can last for up to about seven days. The rash generally begins behind the ears, spreads all over the neck and head, and then a couple of days later reaches all the way down to the legs.

People can become infected by touching an infected person, being near them when they cough or sneeze, or touching a surface that has been touched or sneezed or spat on by an infected person. The virus can stay active for up to two hours outside the body.

Measles complications – complications are common, especially for those with a weak immune system, such as individuals with HIV/AIDS, leukemia, vitamin deficient, and very young children/babies. An adult has a higher chance of developing a complication than a child over five years of age.

Approximately 1 in every 5 infected individuals develops a complication, which may include:

  • Vomiting
  • Pneumonia
  • Otitis media
  • Laryngitis and bronchitis
  • Febrile convulsions
  • Eye infection
  • Diarrhea

    • The following complications are also possible, but less common:

  • Hepatitis
  • Encephalitis
  • Thrombocytopenia
  • Squint
  • Neuritis (optic nerve infection, can lead to blindness). Very rare.
  • Heart complications. Very rare.
  • Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis – a brain disease which can occur a long time after the disease has cleared up. It can cause convulsiosn, motor abnormalities, mental retardation, and even death. Affects about 1 in every 100,000 infected people.

A pregnant woman who becomes infected has a higher risk of premature labor, miscarriage, and having a low-weight baby.

Written by Christian Nordqvist