Alberta’s measles surge sparked more than 2,000 cases of the highly infectious illness in 2025 and, while transmission has dropped dramatically, experts warn the virus remains a threat in the year ahead.
According to the province, Alberta had confirmed 2,008 measles cases as of Dec. 31. Some of the cases were reported in early January but occurred in 2025.
“Alberta, for last year, became the most infectious spot per capita of anywhere in the Americas,” said Craig Jenne, professor of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary.
Multiple measles outbreaks around the province, which began in March, were sparked by more than a dozen cases brought in from other places, according to the Alberta government.
“So it really hammers home that there was a lot of transmission, unfortunately, within Alberta,” Jenne said.
Outbreaks in Alberta and Ontario accounted for the lion’s share of Canada’s measles cases in 2025 and played a key role in the country losing its measles elimination status.
Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which lags behind Alberta’s reporting, shows Ontario had reported 2,396 of the country’s 5,393 cases as of Dec. 27.
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation and even death.
There has been one measles-related death reported in the province since the outbreaks began. A baby who was born prematurely after the mother contracted measles during pregnancy, died shortly after birth.
Provincial data shows 161 hopsitalizations due to measles as of Dec. 13, including 15 ICU admissions.
The good news, according to Jenne, is that case counts have slowed in the province and Alberta is not currently dealing with any large outbreaks.
“We’re not seeing a dozen or more cases linked to single events,” said Jenne, who is also the deputy director of the University of Calgary’s Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases.
“At the same time, we do see that those numbers do continue to tick up and that new cases are continually identified in the province, and just quite simply measles is not gone. It is out there. It remains in the communities and there is a risk of exposure in certain areas of the province.”
An emailed statement from the minister of primary and preventative health services said there’s been a sharp drop in cases with only one or two new cases reported a day over three months.
One new case was reported on Wednesday, bringing the total case count to 2,009.
“Hospitalizations have been extremely low, with no more than five individuals hospitalized at any time. Currently, there are zero patients in hospital,” said Maddison McKee, press secretary to Minister Adriana LaGrange.
“We continue to promote vaccination and are hopeful that the numbers will stay low, ideally zero, allowing us to declare the outbreak officially over, though there is always a risk of new introductions. It is important to note that Alberta’s cases resulted from more than a dozen separate introductions from outside the province.”
The province said it used targeted vaccination campaigns, expanded clinic hours and province-wide outreach to increase uptake and limit the spread of the virus. It also ran a radio, print, digital, and social media advertising campaign in more than 14 languages.
According to the ministry, more than than 156,000 measles vaccines were administered between mid-March and mid-December. That represents a 41 per cent increase over the same period last year.
“In the South and North Zones, where historical uptake has been lower, vaccinations rose by 72 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively,” said McKee.
Measles ‘still a threat’
Vigilance remains key, according to Dr. Karina Top. She described 2025 as a ‘terrible year’ for measles in Alberta and Canada.
“Measles is still out there. It’s still a threat. And it could surge again, that’s my biggest concern,” said Top, a pediatric infectious disease physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
“To declare the outbreak over, we actually have to go about six full weeks with no new cases of the outbreak strain in Alberta. Ontario was able to do that. They declared [their] outbreak over in early October. But in Alberta, it continues.”
Measles exposure advisories remain in effect for the south zone and parts of the north zone, the province’s website shows.
“So I think we’re very far from being able to say this is over or even necessarily under control,” warned Top.
And with measles hotspots in other parts of the country, and the world, more cases are likely to arrive through travel, Jenne cautioned.
“Really the situation that existed at the… beginning of 2025 — with vaccine rates that were below herd immunity — still exists in the province so there is still the potential that reintroduction of a single case of measles into an at-risk community could once again see a significant flare,” he said.
While measles spread in some smaller communities with low vaccination rates, most of the province, including major cities, did not see significant spread, according to the ministry.
“While some areas—particularly in the South Zone—continue to have lower immunization coverage [around 40 to 65 per cent], this is not unique to Alberta. Similar under-vaccinated pockets exist across Canada, reflecting a nationwide challenge,” said McKee.
“Public health continues to take proactive steps to limit further spread and ensure Albertans have timely, clear information to protect themselves and their families.”
