Ontario has seen a significant rise in measles cases as the province starts releasing weekly updates on the disease.
Public Health Ontario reports that there have been 470 measles cases since an outbreak began in October, marking an increase of 120 cases since March 14.
This outbreak has led to 34 hospitalizations, including two individuals requiring intensive care. Most of those hospitalized were unvaccinated children, including one patient who needed intensive care.
The highest number of cases is still in the Southwestern Public Health region, which accounts for nearly half of all reported cases, followed closely by Grand Erie at about 24 percent.
Nine percent of the province’s cases are now located in Huron Perth, which includes Stratford and Goderich, up from 3.7 percent last week. Local health officials have flagged this area as a concern.
The growth of this outbreak adds to rising worries about increasing measles cases across Canada, particularly in Quebec where there are currently 40 cases and Alberta with 13 confirmed cases based on recent data.
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Most of the 34 hospitalizations in Ontario were unvaccinated children, including one of the intensive care patients, Public Health Ontario said. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters)
The outbreak in Quebec started back in December with most incidents occurring in the Laurentides region, popular for skiing. Hockey fans who attended a Montreal Canadiens game earlier this month are being advised to watch for symptoms.
In Alberta, most infections are found in the northern part of the province; however, measles reached Taber in the south this week after a traveler from Toronto visited several places while contagious.
Ontario is now providing weekly reports instead of biweekly updates on case numbers; meanwhile, Alberta has begun daily releases from Monday to Friday.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases globally. The World Health Organization indicates that the virus can survive airborne or on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours.
The illness typically starts with fever, cough, runny nose and red watery eyes before progressing into a red blotchy rash that begins on the face and spreads throughout the body and limbs. It can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, brain inflammation or even death.
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