Bogota health authorities discovered Sunday a highly contagious form of measles rarely found in Colombia, most likely brought over from Europe, reported Radio Caracol.
The capital’s public health watchdog made the discovery and immediately issued a warning.
The “D4” strain in question is a mutation of common measles. Though most patients survive the illness, infants have the higest risk of complications of any section of the population.
Bogota’s health secretary Guillermo Alfonso Martinez released Monday details of the virus and advice on how to prevent its spread in the metropolitan area.
Authorities suspect it may have been carried over by an adult travelling from Europe in the past few days.
Epidemics of the D4 strain broke out in the United Kingdom in 2006 and 2007. Cases were also reported in Switzerland, France and Denmark.
