Over 30 measles cases and counting from Brandon’s Ag Days, chief doctor says

Manitoba’s health system is inundated with surging flu rates and an ongoing measles outbreak, the province’s chief public health officer says.

The measles outbreak — happening for more than a year now — has recently been fuelled by a large exposure in late January at Ag Days in Brandon, Canada’s largest indoor farm show.

There have been more than 30 new cases related to the Ag Days exposure, including 12 confirmed on a single day, Feb. 9, Dr. Brent Roussin said at a news conference on Thursday.

“That was our highest number at any point during this outbreak.”

The case count coming out of that event is expected to keep rising, Roussin said.

“There’s many locations that we’ve seen where spread is, so we know that contacts are occurring in many locations. So we do have to be cautious and aware,” he said.

Measles is a preventable but highly contagious disease and “just sharing the same air space as somebody who has measles” poses a risk of transmission, Roussin said.

Despite that, the province has no plans to impose restrictions or guidelines on large gatherings, even with Brandon set to host the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair from March 30 to April 4.

That event typically draws more than 100,000 visitors in the lead-up to the fair and during the week it runs.

Vaccine eligibility expanded

Messaging rather than a mandatory requirement is the government’s preferred approach at this time, Roussin said.

“Our messaging is if you’re not vaccinated … you really need to consider the risk involved with attending very large gatherings.”

Because of the exposures at Ag Days and the continuing transmission rates through southern Manitoba, the province is expanding measles vaccine eligibility.

The vaccine is now available to children age six months and older who live in the Prairie Mountain or Southern Health regions, or are frequently in contact with people from those areas.

WATCH | Measles outbreak traced back to Ag Days:

Measles outbreak traced back to Ag Days in Brandon

Doctors and daycare operators are bracing for more cases of the measles in Brandon. Province-wide, the number of measles cases is the highest it’s been in decades, with more than 30 new cases related to Ag Days. And now, Manitoba’s top doctor has approved vaccines for infants.

Although the number of measles cases in Manitoba is at its highest in decades, very few are being reported in areas with high vaccination rates, like Winnipeg, Roussin said.

“That tells us how beneficial that vaccine can be.”

In January, Manitoba had 74 confirmed cases — the highest monthly count since the first cases of the outbreak were reported in February 2025. In total, there have now been 393 confirmed and 37 probable cases since those first ones. 

People born before 1970 are generally considered immune due to past exposure, but those born in 1970 or later require vaccination. 

Those unsure about their vaccination status should ask their health-care provider to check their records, Roussin said.

The province is also fending off soaring rates of the flu, with more cases this season than at similar times during even the COVID-19 pandemic, Roussin said.

“This season has brought particularly high levels of respiratory illness activity, with admissions to emergency departments and urgent care increasing to roughly about 3,000 presentations [cases],” he said.

The province’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surveillance report puts the number of reported flu cases this season at 3,309.

Of those, there have been 949 people admitted to hospital, including 104 to the intensive care unit. There have also been 132 flu-related deaths.

By comparison, the number of COVID cases this season is 1,580 with 488 hospital admissions (52 in ICU) and 100 associated deaths.

The burden has been managed by the addition of more beds and 3,500 health-care workers to the system in the past two years, Roussin said.

But he warned there’s often a second wave of influenza in early spring and urged people to get vaccinated to prevent severe illness and reduce hospitalizations and ICU demand.

“Please do take us up on that opportunity to protect yourself and others,” he said.