A person prepares a dose of measles vaccine at a public health center in Nejapa, El Salvador, in April. The spread of the disease in the Americas has rained concerns for transmission during World Cup soccer matches. File Photo by Javier Aparicio
June 3 (UPI) -- he Pan American Health Organization issued recommendations this week following its epidemiological alert in late May about a measles resurgence across the Americas -- one that has resulted in more than 20,000 confirmed cases and 25 deaths this year.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada nears, the organization warned that rising measles transmission and increased international travel create favorable conditions for spread of the disease during large-scale events. It described the situation as serious.
Between January and mid-May, the number of measles cases reported in the Americas was four times higher than during the same period in 2025 and has already exceeded the total reported throughout all of last year.
Mexico leads the region with 10,920 cases and 13 deaths, followed by Guatemala with 6,209 cases and 12 deaths. Canada has reported 1,018 cases, and the United States, 1,952. Peru has recorded 301 cases, while Bolivia, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Uruguay have also identified infections linked to outbreaks or imported cases.
