AHS issues public alert after measles case confirmed in Calgary

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a warning to Calgary residents after a person who tested positive for measles was present in public spaces in the city while being contagious.

AHS said residents who were in the same location as the infected person between Dec. 11 and Dec. 17 may have been infected.

The locations and dates are:

• December 11th — WestJet Flight WS 1553 from Seattle to Calgary.
• December 11th — Calgary International Airport (YYC) Gate D89 5:55pm to 7:55pm
• December 11th — YYC International Baggage Claim 6pm to 8:30pm
• December 11th — YYC International Arrivals Waiting Room, 6:30pm to 8:50pm
• Dec. 14 — Real Canadian Superstore Westwinds (3633 Westwinds Drive NE) 3 to 7 p.m.
• Dec. 15 — Alberta Children's Hospital Emergency Department, 12:38 a.m. to 10:47 p.m.
• Dec. 15 — Alberta Children's Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Department, 10:24 a.m. to 12:24 p.m.
• December 15-17 — Alberta Children's Hospital Room 4, December 15th 8:47pm to December 17th 10:08pm

AHS says people who were in these locations during the listed times, were born after 1970, and have less than two measles-containing vaccinations are at risk of developing measles. Measles is highly contagious in indoor spaces.

According to the AHS, exposed individuals who are pregnant, under 1 year of age, or have a weakened immune system are at highest risk and may be eligible for medication to reduce their risk of developing measles, so they should It says you need to contact link 811.

Those who attended these locations during this time are strongly encouraged to review their immunization records and monitor themselves for measles symptoms.

Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3°C or higher, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. A rash of red spots that appears 3 to 7 days after the onset of fever starts behind the ears and face and spreads to the entire body, arms and legs.

“Nasty bug”

Craig Jenne is a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary.

He said contracting measles in public is a relatively rare occurrence and carries some risk.

“Especially if we see travelers who were on a plane coming into the city during the outbreak phase, perhaps they will be exposed to other people on the plane or, in this case, other public places in the city. “The virus may have spread to cities where the infected person may have visited,” Jenne told CBC News.

According to Jenne, measles is one of the most contagious viruses when it comes to infecting humans. They can linger in the air for hours after an infected person leaves the room, and it only takes a small amount of virus particles to cause infection.

“This is a nasty bug when it comes to infectious diseases. The good news is that if you're vaccinated, the vaccines are very effective and provide great protection,” he said.

Jenne said measles was nearly eradicated in Canada, but it has been making a comeback in recent years, including a major outbreak in New Brunswick this year.

“This also has to do with travelers coming into the province by plane, and we've seen the spread of the virus. We had an outbreak in Ontario last year, and we actually lost two children to measles,” he said. .

Because the virus is so contagious, vaccination rates need to exceed 95 percent to achieve herd immunity or community-based protection, Jenne said. He added that measles vaccination rates are not even close to that in most parts of Alberta, with measles vaccination rates as low as 40 per cent in some parts of the province.

“Therefore, there is a risk here that the community does not have a level of protection to stop the spread of infection in public places,” Jenne said.

“As we've seen across the country, and particularly in Alberta, vaccination rates continue to decline.”

AHS advises individuals to stay home and call HealthLink if they develop symptoms of measles and before visiting a health care facility or health care provider, such as their GP's office or pharmacy.