Measles Outbreaks: A Growing Concern on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Dr. Héctor Ocaranza, the chief public health officer in El Paso, anticipated that the city would start seeing cases of measles as the disease spread through West Texas and eastern New Mexico. The highways linking El Paso to this region act as thoroughfares for families and commercial truckers who travel back and forth to Mexico each day.
"Illnesses don’t recognize borders," Dr. Ocaranza said. "As people move around, many come to El Paso for medical care, some living across the border in Juárez."
After a couple of months, El Paso has reported the highest number of measles cases in Texas outside of the outbreak epicenter, with 38 cases confirmed. Juárez has seen 14 cases as of Monday.
In total, the three largest measles outbreaks in North America have more than 2,500 confirmed cases, resulting in three deaths in the U.S. and one in Mexico. These outbreaks began in Ontario, Canada last fall and surged in January in Texas and New Mexico, quickly spreading to Chihuahua, Mexico, where 786 cases have been reported since mid-February.
Many cases are tied to specific Mennonite communities that have migrated from Canada and settled in regions like Seminole, Texas. Health officials in Chihuahua traced their first case to an eight-year-old Mennonite boy who became sick after visiting family, inadvertently spreading the virus at school. Furthermore, Ontario health authorities indicated that their outbreak started at a large gathering associated with Mennonite communities.
Genetic testing has shown that the strains of measles spreading in Canada match those linked to the large outbreaks in the U.S. and Mexico. Leticia Ruíz, director of disease prevention in Chihuahua, noted that the virus has been moving across borders.
Health experts have raised concerns about vaccination rates in North and South America, which need to remain at 95% to prevent outbreaks. Dr. Jarbas Barbosa from the Pan American Health Organization reported an alarming 11-fold increase in measles activity in the Americas compared to the same period last year, revealing a "high" risk compared to a "moderate" level globally.
Confirmed measles cases have been recorded in Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, highlighting the costly and complex nature of responding to each case, which can range from $30,000 to $50,000 as stated by Dr. David Sugerman from the CDC.
Measles on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Rogelio Covarrubias, a health official in Juárez, clarified that the cases in the city are not directly linked to the Mennonite settlement in Chihuahua. The first case in El Paso was reported in a child from Fort Bliss. Notably, over half of El Paso’s cases involve adults, which is an unusual trend, with three individuals hospitalized. The health department is conducting vaccination clinics in shopping centers and parks, providing vaccines free of charge to anyone, regardless of where they live.
Communication about measles between health departments in the two cities is said to be "informal but very good." Covarrubias mentioned that his team received alerts about individuals who fell ill after returning to Juárez from El Paso.
The constant flow of people across the border raises significant concerns, as a single measles case could potentially lead to further infections if precautions are not taken.
Measles on the U.S.-Canada Border
In Michigan, health officials linked a small outbreak of four cases in Montcalm County to Ontario. State medical director Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian anticipates more instances, noting that while Michigan has a 95% vaccination rate for measles, mumps, and rubella, some counties show much lower rates, with one school reporting only 30% vaccination among children.
Addressing the situation, Dr. Bagdasarian likened the spread of measles to a wildfire, cautioning that even small outbreaks could reignite widespread concern.
In Canada, cases have been reported in six out of ten provinces, with Alberta noting 83 cases as of mid-April. Ontario’s count reached 1,020, primarily concentrated in areas close to Michigan. In a notably affected region, public health officials have announced a public exposure linked to a congregation during Easter Sunday at a Mennonite church.
Overall, health authorities face the ongoing challenge of managing this infectious disease as it continues to move within communities across borders.
