The District Health Secretariat confirmed the detection of an imported case of measles in the capital and activated all epidemiological surveillance protocols. The patient corresponds to an adult from Mexico, whose preliminary diagnosis was obtained on February 19 through PCR tests performed on swab and urine samples. The District Public Health Laboratory performed the initial analysis and subsequently sent the result to the National Institute of Health for final validation.
Preventive isolation
The authorities immediately isolated the patient at home, began permanent clinical monitoring and deployed an epidemiological fence. The District activated close contact tracing, field investigation and verification of vaccination schedules in the immediate environment. So far, the patient has no complications and the city has no evidence of local transmission.
In 2025, Bogotá investigated 782 suspected cases of measles, a figure that represents an increase of 35% compared to 2024. This increase occurs in the midst of a complex international context that keeps health authorities on alert.
They reinforce surveillance at airports
The Secretariat strengthened controls at the El Dorado International Airport and in land terminals as part of the strategy to contain risks associated with international travelers. Mexico is currently facing one of the most severe outbreaks in the region, with 9,820 confirmed cases and 31 deaths.
The District Secretary of Health, Gerson Bermont, assured that early detection demonstrates the response capacity of the health system and reiterated that an imported case does not imply community circulation of the virus, although it does require maintaining intensive surveillance in the face of the regional emergency.
