8-year-old child dies of measles in northern Mexico; 29 deaths in the last year

The country reported 2,642 infections, a figure 17 times higher than a month ago.

Mexico.- An 8-year-old boy died on Tuesday in northern Mexico after contracting measles, part of a marked increase in the number of cases that has forced authorities to intensify health controls and vaccination campaigns to contain the infections. The minor, who belonged to a family of farmers, died in a hospital in the capital of the state of Durango after contracting the disease in the neighboring state of Sinaloa, announced the state's Secretary of Health, Moisés Nájera. With the death of the minor, the number of measles deaths in Mexico has reached 29 since the first case was reported in the northern state of Chihuahua in February 2025. The virus claimed 26 lives throughout 2025, while three other people have lost their lives so far this year. Measles is a highly contagious disease and particularly serious in children. The virus is transmitted through droplets from the nose, mouth, and pharynx of infected people, and usually causes fever, runny nose, and rash on the body. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), measles can cause serious complications, such as blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia, particularly in malnourished children and immunocompromised patients, which can lead to death. Faced with the spread of the disease in Mexico and other countries in the region, such as Canada and the United States, PAHO declared an epidemiological alert last week.

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The outbreak occurs four months before the start of the World Cup in which Mexico, Canada, and the United States will share the 16 venues of the tournament, generating concern among specialists who fear that the disease will spread on a large scale during the World Cup that will attract millions of tourists. Cases on the rise. Mexico has reported 7,325 suspected cases and 2,642 infections so far this year, 17 times more than the number of cases reported a month ago, according to figures from the federal government. The disease has spread throughout the country's 32 states. The epicenter of the outbreak is the western state of Jalisco, where 58% of the country's cases are recorded: 1,529 infections and 2,991 suspected cases. Jalisco authorities decided last week to intensify health controls and imposed the mandatory use of face masks in educational centers in Guadalajara, the state capital, where cases have been reported in 43 schools, some of which suspended activities and switched to virtual classes. Similarly, in the State of Mexico, it was agreed on Monday to reinforce health controls in schools with vaccination campaigns, daily temperature checks, and the optional use of face masks in enclosed spaces. In the case of Mexico City, where there are 140 active cases, local authorities decided last week to expand vaccination plans to prevent the spread of the disease in the metropolis of nine million inhabitants. The head of government of Mexico City, Clara Brugada, said on Tuesday that 124 vaccination centers were installed at strategic points, although for the moment she ruled out that the use of face masks will be imposed in the schools of the capital. This year, 14 million doses of measles vaccine have been administered across the country, according to federal government data.