Measles in Mexico: when the virus decides to do domestic tourism
It seems that measles, that vintage disease that we thought was archived along with vinyl records, is experiencing its rebranding in Mexico. At least 18 states (yes, almost half the country) have reported cases, because the virus loves a good road trip. The health authorities, obviously, are more nervous than an unfiltered influencer. Here we tell you everything, from the symptoms to how to prevent this unwanted guest from settling in your body.
The numbers that don’t lie (and are a little scary)
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health (which sounds like something out of The Walking Dead):
- 9 deaths: 8 in Chihuahua and 1 in Sonora, because the virus does not have geographical preferences.
- 77 municipalities with confirmed cases, which is equivalent to more places affected than Bad Bunny songs at a party.
- 3,095 cases in total*, because what would an epidemic be without dramatic statistics? (*Spoiler: Nuevo León reported an extra one after the cut, because measles loves plot twists).
Among the most affected states are Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Campeche, Guerrero, and others that you probably did not have in your epidemic outbreak bingo. To put it in continental perspective: Mexico “beats” the US and Canada in cases, but we all lose in this macabre competition.
Symptoms: because not everything is fever and spots
Measles isn’t just a photogenic rash for Instagram. It starts with a high fever (as if you had put on a jacket in the middle of summer), followed by a stuffy nose, cough, and red eyes that will make you look like the protagonist of a Korean drama. Then white spots appear on your cheeks (as if nature had applied a poorly made highlighter) and, finally, the famous exanthema: red rashes that start on the face and spread as if your body were an abstract canvas.
Complications include pneumonia, encephalitis, and other words you don’t want to hear in your diagnosis. Basically, measles is like that toxic friend who says “let’s just get coffee” and you end up in the hospital.
Prevention: because no one wants to be a trending topic for this
Here’s the good news: there is the MMR vaccine (measles, rubella, mumps), which you should have if you don’t want to relive the 50s. The first dose is at 12 months and the booster at 6 years. If you are a teenager or adult and you missed the memo, you can still get vaccinated with the SR version. By the way, treatment once infected is basically “suck it up and pray”: hydration, antibiotics if there are secondary infections and vitamin A (which reduces mortality, because even viruses hate nutrients).
How is it spread? By drops of saliva when coughing or sneezing, that is, just like gossip in a WhatsApp group. So now you know: if someone coughs nearby, run like you’ve been tagged in an embarrassing meme.
Moral: get vaccinated, because this season, the only virus that should circulate is K-pop.
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