Measles outbreak in Alcantarilla rises to 14 confirmed cases

Health authorities confirm 14 cases and say a further 29 are still under investigation as epidemiological teams search for the source of infection

The current chain of infections is the largest recorded since 2010, when 96 cases were reported in Jumilla. The outbreak, which began in Alcantarilla at the start of May, now stands at 14 confirmed cases, according to the latest data from the Regional Health Department. In addition, the epidemiological bulletin from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III reports a further 29 suspected cases still awaiting diagnosis.

This provisional total makes it the most significant outbreak in the Murcia region since 2010, when an outbreak originating in Jumilla affected 96 people.

Most of the 14 confirmed cases have been recorded in Alcantarilla, although there are also infections in the nearby city of Murcia. The first confirmed cases in early May involved two adults and an 11-month-old baby who had not yet received their first vaccine dose. A further 11 cases have been confirmed since.

The outbreak is being closely monitored by the regional health authority, the Consejería de Salud de la Región de Murcia, which says its epidemiology team has significantly improved the speed of detection as the situation has developed. Officials say the time between the first symptoms and diagnosis has dropped from around two weeks at the start of the outbreak to about five days now.

The team is continuing to follow established outbreak protocols, including detailed contact tracing, to prevent further spread. Efforts are also focused on protecting vulnerable groups and identifying the original source of the infection, which remains unknown.

The situation in Alcantarilla comes as Measles cases are rising across Spain and the European Union. In the Murcia region, there were four cases in 2024 and another four in 2025.

Across Spain, 227 cases were recorded in 2024 and 397 in 2025, with a further 118 already reported so far in 2026.

In response to the growing number of infections, the World Health Organization has withdrawn Spain's status as a measles-free country, prompting health authorities to strengthen surveillance and monitoring.

Health officials stress that vaccination remains the only effective way to control the virus, but very high coverage, above 95%, is needed to prevent it from circulating in the population.

In the Murcia region, MMR vaccine coverage stands at 96.8% for the first dose at 12 months and 92.4% for the second dose at age four. However, experts warn that measles can still spread if coverage is uneven across communities or even countries.

The most vulnerable groups are infants too young to receive their first dose and people with weakened immune systems. For this reason, paediatric experts recommend bringing forward the first dose to six months for children travelling to countries where the virus is circulating more widely.

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