Guatemalan child who crossed into U.S. has strep throat, not measles
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - An 8-year-old Guatemalan girl who was picked up by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents after she crossed the Colorado River was misdiagnosed as having measles. Further testing revealed that she actually has strep throat.
The girl was among a group of 39 people who illegally crossed the river into Yuma, Arizona. The girl was with her father at the time.
The group surrendered to U.S. Border Patrol agents who determined them to be illegal aliens from Guatemala and Honduras. They were transported to the Yuma Station for processing and medical screenings.
The child and her father were quarantined from the other detainees, and the Yuma County Health Department was notified.
The border patrol said that the Yuma sector is currently more than double its recommended detention capacity with more than 1,000 people in custody. Most of those in custody are family groups and unaccompanied minors from Central America.
Note: This story has been updated.