Rash caused by measles
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 29, 2025
Amandala has learned that five more cases of measles have been confirmed in the country, in addition to the previous case confirmed in mid-April.
In mid-April, the first cases emerged in Belize after the country had been measles-free for 34 years. The infected persons were two unvaccinated teenagers, both 17 years of age, a male and a female — one from Cayo and the other from Corozal, leading officials to suspect that the measles virus was imported from neighboring countries.
Measles symptoms include high fever, dry cough, a runny nose, conjunctivitis, and a rash that starts at the hairline and spreads to the chest, back, limbs, and then to the rest of the body.
Reports are indicating that the new cases were identified within a group of close contacts from the Cayo District who were connected to the household in which the initial case emerged.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness informed the media on Monday, April 28, that 22 school contacts were also identified, with 12 fully vaccinated, 5 unvaccinated, and 4 with unknown vaccination status.
They added that they’re continuing to increase testing and containment efforts across the country, and noted that 14 samples have been sent to Mexico for laboratory testing. Notably, all results of that testing have come back negative.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and is spread person-to-person via droplets suspended in the air or lying on surfaces or through direct contact with nasal or throat secretions from infected persons.
British Caribbean News
