Peru
Andean country on South America's Pacific coast; capital Lima.
Peru added 190 confirmed measles cases in the fortnight to 12 September 2026, more than Guatemala, and PAHO warned that October's Señor de los Milagros processions and Pope Leo XIV's November visit could spread the virus further.
Last refreshed: 4 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Peru
Added 190 cases in the fortnight to 12 September
Pandemics and Biosecurity: Peru overtakes Guatemala on new measlesMentioned in: Guatemala passes Mexico on measles cases
Pandemics and BiosecurityBackground
Peru is now one of the growing fronts of the 2026 measles epidemic in the Americas. Across the Americas, PAHO's count to 19 September ran at 3.8 times the level of a year earlier, and Peru's share is rising while Mexico's declines.
The Andean country, with its capital at Lima on the Pacific coast, shares the region's underlying weakness. Routine immunisation and catch-up campaigns paused across the Americas during the COVID-19 pandemic, and not every country has closed the gap. Peru's outbreak sits in the highlands, where distance makes second doses hard to deliver.
Peru also faces animal-health threats. It reported H5N1 bird flu in poultry on 9 September 2026, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection recorded.
Peru has become a measles front
PAHO counted 2,292 confirmed measles cases in Peru by 19 September 2026. In the fortnight to 12 September Peru added 190, outpacing Guatemala's 176 even though Guatemala still holds most of the region's cases. PAHO is supporting the response in the southern highland regions of Puno and Arequipa, where remote communities are harder to reach with second doses.
The next weeks carry two tests. October's Señor de los Milagros processions draw very large crowds to Lima from across the country, and Pope Leo XIV is due in November. PAHO's 7 August alert had already listed mass gatherings among general risk factors. Its Regional Verification Commission has visited Peru to review whether the country keeps its measles elimination status.
How many measles cases are there in Peru?
Where is the measles outbreak in Peru?
Why is measles a risk at Peru's Señor de los Milagros festivities?
