Mexico accounts for 40.7 percent of measles infections among the nations that make up the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), according to the organization’s latest weekly figures.
As of the 19th, Mexico had 5,860 confirmed cases of the virus, surpassing the United States and Canada, which reported 5,298 and 1,958, respectively.
This situation underscores the need for Mexicans between the ages of zero and 49 to be vaccinated, as the spread of the virus is increasing and must be prevented.
According to this epidemiological report, Bolivia has the fourth-highest number of cases, with just 506, while Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Paraguay combined have fewer than 200 cases among the five countries.
Based on the distribution of confirmed cases in Mexico, the General Directorate of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health (SSA) indicates that cases were registered in 29 states and 196 municipalities last week, although all states had confirmed cases throughout the year.
The report shows that measles affects both sexes: 48 percent male and 51.2 percent female, with children under four years old being the most vulnerable group, as more than 1,500 cases have been detected in this age range.
Children aged five to nine years follow, with 620 cases, and in third place are young adults aged 20 to 24 years, totaling 580 cases.
However, the figures triple if the probable cases accumulated up to the 19th are considered, reaching a total of 14,336 probable cases, of which Chihuahua accounts for 6,219; Jalisco, 1,556; Mexico City, 933; State of Mexico, 603; and Michoacán, 582.
Of the 45 confirmed cases reported in the last week of the epidemiological report, 28 active outbreaks were in Jalisco (28), Mexico City (five), Chiapas (four), and Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Baja California, and Colima (two each).
Given the increase in measles cases in the country and amid the holiday season, when gatherings and celebrations increase, this week the Secretary of Health, David Kershenobich, urged the public to get vaccinated against this contagious disease.
“A single case is enough to trigger outbreaks that put unvaccinated children, adolescents, and adults at risk,” he warned.
Source: ahoratabasco
