The Ministry of Health has triggered an epidemiological alert by confirming that an unvaccinated Russian family residing in Uruguay was traveling to Argentina when suffering from an illness compatible with measles. The group arrived there from Bolivia and crossed the city of Buenos Aires and seven provinces Long-distance buses from November 14th to 16tha displacement that produced 98 close contacts and whose first symptoms appeared on November 11th.
According to the official statement, the journey began in Salvador Mazza (Salta) and went through Jujuy, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero and Santa Fe to Colón (Entre Ríos). several stations where the exhibition took place of passengers and staff. Local authorities automatically implemented vaccination blocks, collected samples for analysis, and maintained surveillance until the 12th to detect fever, rashes or other compatible signs.
TO Except for four foreignersThe majority of identified contacts live in seven Argentine jurisdictions, illustrating the territorial scale of the incident and its potential to spread.
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Buenos Aires City (CABA) and provincial health teams are reconstructing the entire route minute by minute to notify all exposed people and strengthen surveillance of febrile exanthematous illnesses. Therefore, the official recommendation once again emphasizes the importance of received two doses of the triple virus vaccine.
In addition, Uruguayan health system sources confirmed that the family had traveled to two Bolivian cities days earlier attend the wedding of a close relative. Additionally, the initial warning spoke of five members and four infected, but it was later confirmed that all were sick.
This group consists of the mother, father and four children aged 21, 13, 14 and 9 years. In Colonia Ofir and San Javier, the towns where they live, two schools and a high school temporarily switched to virtual classes to avoid new infections, and health authorities even conducted a… Vaccination campaign in rural areaswhere some resistance to vaccination remains. In addition, another family was isolated, which they would have taken with them by car from Colón.
Which family path led to health research?
The number corresponds 64% of contacts identified So far, according to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Epidemiology and the participating jurisdictions. This family – six people residing in San Javier (Uruguay), without vaccination against exanthematous diseases – entered the country from Bolivia on November 14th and returned to Uruguay on the 16th after spending about 48 hours in Argentine territory, including transfers.
Health monitoring active until last Friday, 98 people were listed as close contacts of travelers, and the payroll remains open at least 54 other possible victims. Now the transportation companies provided passenger lists, although Health acknowledges that the lack of phone numbers and incomplete data delays the final location of those who shared buses, terminals or inns with the group.
Health research expanded to terminals and train stations from Buenos Aires, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Jujuy, Santa Fe, Salta, Tucumán and Santa Cruz. The territorial size of the operation reflects how a single itinerary can trigger a national operation: 34 contacts live in Buenos Aires Province, 22 in CABA, 20 in Entre Ríos, seven in Jujuy, seven in Santa Fe, three in Salta, one in Santa Cruz and one in Tucumán.
Also added to this list were four foreigners who also met the family at some point during the trip.
The tour included three long-distance transport companies —Buses Quirquincho SRL, Balut Hermanos SRL and San José SRL — with stops and transfers in Salta, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos and the city of Buenos Aires. Now the authorities are concentrating their reconstruction on the busiest terminals such as Liniers and Retiro, where passenger traffic is estimated to have occurred during the times of permeability.
What is the current epidemiological situation in Argentina?
Measles is a viral disease highly contagious due to the measles virus (Morbillivirus genus), transmitted by respiratory droplets from infected people, with an incubation period of 10-14 days. At the beginning of the disease is the The first symptoms include a high fever (up to 40-41°C), dry cough, runny nose (rhinorrhea), conjunctivitis with red, watery eyes and characteristic white spots in the mouth (Koplik spots) 2-3 days later.
Following this a reddish maculopapular rash It begins on the face and spreads to the trunk and extremities within 3-5 days, lasting a total of 4-7 days. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures or blindness and has a mortality rate of 1-2 per 1,000 in unvaccinated people.
Currently, the exclusive prevention consists of the triple viral vaccination (measles, mumps, rubella), administered in two doses: the first after 12 months and the second after 5 years, according to Argentina’s national vaccination calendar, free and safe with an effectiveness of 97% after the second dose. Unvaccinated people or those who have received one dose should ideally be vaccinated against exposure in the first 72 hours after contact with the lockdown, and close contacts will be monitored for 21 days.
The country maintains the status of eliminating the endemic distribution of measles with cases since 2000 confirmed, mostly imported or associated with international travelers and low vaccination rates. As of epidemiological week 26 of 2025, 35 confirmed cases have been recorded in the country, along with previous outbreaks in AMBA that affected 32 people and led to an official closure in November after 20 weeks without new cases.
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