Honduras confirms third imported measles case, rules out community transmission

Honduran health authorities have confirmed a third imported case of measles, involving a woman residing in the Corinto area of Cortés department, near the border with Guatemala. Despite this new case, officials have reiterated that there is no evidence of community transmission within Honduras, a country that has been declared free of the virus since 1997.

The Secretariat of Health (Sesal) stated that the patient's case has an epidemiological link to the ongoing measles situation in Guatemala. The confirmation was made possible through strengthened epidemiological surveillance systems that Honduras maintains in response to regional alerts about rising measles cases across the Americas. The patient exhibited typical symptoms, including fever, cough, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, and respiratory difficulties.

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The patient resides in the sector of Corinto, department of Cortés, in the north of the country, and the case presents an 'epidemiological link with the measles situation affecting Guatemala'.

Following the diagnosis, health teams identified and isolated the woman's contacts, who are now under epidemiological surveillance and clinical monitoring. Field investigations and national containment protocols are actively being applied. This latest case brings the total confirmed measles cases in Honduras to three, all of which are considered imported and connected to outbreaks in other continental nations.

Sesal urged the public, particularly vulnerable groups and those planning travel to countries with active measles circulation, to verify and complete their vaccination schedules with the measles, rubella, and mumps (MMR) triple viral vaccine. The ministry emphasized that vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure and advised citizens to rely solely on official channels for information to combat rumors and misinformation.

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Honduras does not register autochthonous contagions of measles, so there is no evidence of sustained community transmission in the national territory.