Measles is spreading rampantly across parts of Alberta — so much so, the province’s health authority has issued a standing measles exposure advisory for the south zone.
The Alberta Health Services (AHS) order is effective immediately and until further notice for the southeastern section of Alberta that includes the cities of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
AHS said on Friday it will no longer issue individual alerts each time there is an exposure of the extremely contagious virus that spreads easily through the air and can linger after an infected patient has left an area.
“This standing advisory will replace the use of separate site-specific exposure advisories, which no longer accurately capture the scope of potential risk at this time in the zone,” AHS said.
As of Friday afternoon, there were 408 lab-confirmed cases of measles in that region — a jump of 19 patients from Thursday — but AHS said the actual scope of the outbreak is much larger.
“Due to the number of people in these areas who may not be immune to measles, it’s possible that some cases are going undetected or unreported,” AHS said on its website.
Everyone living, working, attending school in, or travelling to the south zone is advised to be aware of the significant current risk for measles disease, and ensure immunizations are up to date.
Once declared eradicated in Canada in 1998, measles has made a comeback, spreading rapidly in recent months due to declining vaccination rates.
AHS said the risk of being exposed to measles is significantly higher in Two Hills, Taber MD, the County of Lethbridge, or the County of Forty Mile than elsewhere in the province.
At this point, AHS said anyone in the south zone who was born in or after 1970 and has fewer than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine is at risk for developing measles.
They should monitor for symptoms of measles and are strongly encouraged to review their immunization records.
The recommended schedule for measles immunization is two doses: the first at one year of age and the second at 18 months.
At this time, AHS said babies in the south zone are eligible for additional immunizations: infants who are six months up to and including 11 months of age are recommended to receive an early dose of vaccine. However, they should still receive their routine two doses after they reach one year of age.
Measles isn’t just a problem in southern Alberta — there have been exposures across the province. The AHS zone breakdown is as follows: 93 cases in central, 41 cases in the north, 408 cases in the south, six cases in the Edmonton area, and 12 cases in the Calgary area.
Of the 560 confirmed cases across the province, 175 are in kids under the age of five, another 260 cases are in children ages five to 17, another 121 are in adults 18 to 54, and four cases have been confirmed in adults over 55, according to the province’s dashboard. It is updated daily, Monday through Friday.
Almost all of the cases the province is aware of are past the period of communicability, however, that only applies to infected patients who have been tested.
If you think you have been exposed and you are not protected against measles, AHS said you may be able to receive immunization to reduce the risk of infection.
“A dose of vaccine needs to be given within 72 hours of exposure to prevent measles. Babies under one year of age, people with severely weakened immune systems, and those who are pregnant may be able to receive immunoglobulin within six days of exposure to prevent disease,” AHS said Friday afternoon.
Call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 for more information if these situations apply to you or your family.
Many measles exposure alerts in recent weeks have come from sick people visiting medical centres and doctors’ offices.
If symptoms of measles do develop, Albertans are advised to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.
Measles can ‘erase’ your immune system’s memory
Measles is an extremely contagious disease and is spread easily through the air.
Symptoms include:
- Fever of 38.3° C or higher
- Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes
- A rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours. On darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it, or it might be hard to see.
Complications of measles can include ear infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, premature delivery, and rarely, death.
The highly contagious virus doesn’t just cause a rash and fever — it can also wipe out the immune system’s memory, leaving survivors vulnerable to infections they’ve fought off before, like the flu, a cold, or even diseases they’ve been vaccinated against.
Health Canada warns that measles can lead to serious immune suppression, known as immune amnesia. This can increase the risk of other illnesses and even raise the chances of death for months or even years after the infection, the health agency states on its website.
Measles, known for its characteristic red rash, is one of the most contagious viruses on the planet, with an R number of 12 to 18 — meaning one infected person can spread it to up to 18 others in an unvaccinated population.
To put that in perspective, COVID-19’s original strain had an R number of about two to three, and even highly transmissible variants like Omicron rarely exceeded 10.
People who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems and babies under the age of one are at greatest risk.
If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call Health Link at 811 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family doctor’s office or pharmacy.
The measles vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and complications, and is free to get in Alberta.
— with files from Katie Dangerfield, Global News and The Canadian Press