An urgent alert has been issued in Mallorca after an outbreak of measles has been traced back to a holidaymaker.Six people have so far been affected, according to the Ministry of Health. These are the first confirmed cases in the Balearic Islands in 2026.The Directorate General of Public Health has activated the surveillance and contact tracing protocol to try to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease and does not rule out the possibility of further cases in the coming days.’It is to be expected that there will be some other case. It is within normality,’ said Director General of Public Health Elena Esteban, who explained that the incubation period can be extended up to 23 days.None of the six people affected are hospitalised and the confirmed cases have been isolated at home.Doctors have said the measles outbreak started with a foreign child from a European country who was on holiday in Mallorca and went to the Paediatric Emergency Service of the Son Espases hospital on July 19. Six people have been affected so far by a measles’ outbreak in Mallorca (stock)Secondary cases began to show symptoms at the end of July and the outbreak was detected last Friday.The child’s nationality has not been revealed so it is not known whether they are British.Since the detection of the first cases, Public Health has begun a search to locate people who may have been exposed to the virus. The number of potential contacts is ‘very high’ since the investigation also requires the tracking of plane flights into Mallorca, although technicians are still filtering the information to determine which ones can be considered close contacts.Identified individuals receive an SMS informing them of the exposure and asking them to check their vaccination status and remain vigilant for symptoms within 23 days of contact. The Government has also reported the outbreak to the Ministry of Health.Some of the five subsequent cases, including residents of Mallorca, were infected in the waiting room of the Paediatric Emergency Department itself.’Measles is very contagious, which is why it has been possible to spread it in an emergency room,’ Elena Esteban told the Spanish press.Five of the six infected people were not vaccinated, while the vaccination status of the sixth is unknown. The first case is reported to be a foreign minor on holiday from a European countryComplete protection against measles is achieved with two doses of the vaccine and the Balearic Islands currently have 91.11 per cent coverage of the target population.’We must not let our guard down,’ said the director general, who has especially asked parents to keep the vaccination schedule of minors updated.There have been measles cases in recent years in the Balearic Islands. There were no registered cases between 2020 and 2023, but in 2024 six were reported.Last year, the figure shot up to 35 overall – this included 31 in Mallorca, three in Ibiza and one in Formentera. Of these, 24 corresponded to unvaccinated people and the vaccination status of the rest was unknown.Spain had been considered free of endemic measles transmission since 2016, but in February of this year it lost that status.Earlier this year, there was a measles outbreak in the UK which affected schools and nurseries in north London. Elsewhere, America recently saw an uptick in cases in states like California and Utah.But measles isn’t the only potential issue for holidaymakers heading to Mallorca. The individual went to the Paediatric Emergency Service of the Son Espases hospital on July 19Visitors have been warned of ‘biting fish’ at some popular beach resorts, after a string of attacks were reported.In and around the beaches of Illetas and Cala Comtessa, in the municipality of Calvia, groups of people were bitten by small fish.Over last weekend, one victim said several people reported seeing small fish, ‘which seemed to have about two teeth, biting our legs, but in the end, they actually drew blood and everything’.Spanish news outlet Majorca Daily Bulletin reported the incidents, which bear striking similarity to a spike in small fish bites on the island back in 2023. What is measles? And the symptoms to look out for Measles is an easily-spreadable infection that can have serious implications for some people. Symptoms:Cold-like symptoms are usually the first to appear such as a high temperature, a runny nose, sneezing and a coughSmall white spots inside the mouth The measles rash. This typically starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading across the body. Source: NHS