Honduras steps up measles response after second imported case

Honduran health authorities confirmed a second imported case of measles, involving a 27‑year‑old man who traveled from Guatemala to Roatán on May 12. Rapid response teams are searching for five passengers from the same flight to conduct home visits, health assessments and preventive quarantine, after the airline supplied only passenger names. Two passengers who arrived in Tegucigalpa have already been placed under strict quarantine and remain asymptomatic.

Epidemiologist Tito Alvarado warned that a single measles patient can infect up to 18 other people, describing the situation as a "terrible alert" and urging a vaccination rate above 95 %. Honduras eliminated measles in 1997, but the two confirmed cases now raise concerns of a potential outbreak, especially among unvaccinated children and vulnerable adults.