Two more measles cases were confirmed Monday in Alberta — one in the Calgary health zone and one in the south zone — and infectious disease experts are watching the situation closely.
Both of the latest cases are in people under the age of 18.
That brings the total in Alberta’s current surge of measles to 23 cases, 22 of which are among people under the age of 18.
The total doesn’t include one person from Ontario who travelled through Calgary to Taber, Alta., in March.
“The good news is, it’s not exponential at the moment,” Craig Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, said of the Alberta measles situation.
“The bad news is, it’s not fully contained. And there remains the risk of losing control of this, just as we’ve seen in Ontario.”
There have been 572 confirmed or probable cases of measles reported in Ontario since October, according to public health data in that province.
The Government of Alberta advises everyone to ensure their measles immunizations are up to date.
Free measles immunizations for eligible people can be booked through Health Link at 811 or by contacting your local community health centre.
Measles is a highly contagious and potentially dangerous virus which can lead to a number of complications including ear infections, swelling of the brain, pneumonia and even death.
“More than 90 per cent of people who are not immune to measles and who come into contact with the virus will become infected,” the Alberta Health website states
Between one and three out of every 1,000 people who are infected will die, according to the province.
Measles symptoms include:
- high fever
- cough
- runny nose
- red eyes
- a blotchy, red rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts
Alberta Health Services has a website dedicated to information on potential exposure locations, advisories and immunization information.
Alberta Health posts updates on measles cases on weekdays at 12:30 p.m. here.
