In Panama, 386 people have been identified who had contact with the two imported measles cases.

Fever, rash (skin eruptions), cough, and nasal discharge are some of the symptoms of measles. Photo: (iStock)The Panamanian health system has identified at least 386 people who had some form of contact with the two individuals who entered the country infected with measles. The people who have been contacted, the exact number of whom was not specified, will be under medical monitoring for 21 days, which is the incubation period for the disease. "Many people have been contacted by phone, but they have avoided the calls, fearing that it is a scam," said Pablo González, National Director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health. He indicated that it is crucial to locate these contacts to prevent a possible chain of transmission. Panama reported four cases of imported measles in 2011, and the last indigenous case was recorded in 1995, so the country was declared free of the disease. The country has 245,000 doses available to address the disease. Currently, in the search for possible contacts with the first case of imported measles, in the province of Bocas del Toro, bordering Costa Rica, the authorities are tracing 28 people who had contact with a young Dutch man who arrived in that region on April 23, infected with the disease. The 28 people are part of a total of 78 contacts, so coordination is underway with Costa Rican and Panamanian immigration authorities to track the movements of the remaining 50 people, to determine if they are still in the country or have already left. The young Dutch man, 25 years old, stayed in Bocas del Toro for four days and then traveled using public transportation to the city of Panama. "Over the weekend, we were able to increase the number of contacts identified for this measles case in Bocas del Toro to 78," said epidemiologist Abdiel Rodríguez. He detailed that of that number, "28 have been located, of whom 14 are foreign nationals, so we are coordinating with immigration and other entities to locate the remaining ones, to know where they might be, or if they have already left the country." The first imported case of measles entered Panama through the Guabito border control post, in the province of Bocas del Toro. On May 8, Panamanian health authorities announced the detection of this imported measles case in an international traveler. Immediately, epidemiological surveillance protocols were activated in a regional context marked by the rapid spread of the disease. Mexico was the starting point for the traveler, who subsequently passed through Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and arrived in the Panamanian province of Bocas del Toro on April 23. On the same day, May 8, a second confirmed case was reported in a 19-year-old Swiss traveler who entered the country through Tocumen International Airport, coming from Costa Rica. Official information detailed that after laboratory tests, the diagnostic confirmation was issued by the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies. The second imported case of measles entered the country through Tocumen International Airport. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun. She presented a picture of fever, rash (skin eruptions), cough, and nasal discharge, for which she received medical attention at a private hospital. The Ministry of Health announced that it currently has 245,000 doses available and expects to receive another 200,000 soon, so it urged Panamanians to review their vaccination schedules. During the first weeks of the vaccination campaign in the Americas, approximately 360,000 doses were administered in the country.