AHS warns of potential measles exposure in Edmonton
Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued a warning Thursday about potential measles exposure in Edmonton as provincial cases near 1,000.
The health authority said a person with confirmed measles was out in public while infected at the following locations:
Dollarama at Glenridding Village
June 16 from about 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
June 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Grey Nuns Community Hospital Emergency Department
8 p.m. on June 18 to 1 a.m. June 1
Anyone who was at the two locations during the specific time frames may have been exposed to measles.
Those born in or after 1970 and have less than two documented doses of the measles vaccine may be at risk of developing the highly infectious disease.
Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3 C or higher, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts.
Complications of measles can include ear infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, premature delivery, and, rarely, death.
Should symptoms of measles develop, AHS advises people 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.
If you think you have been exposed and are not protected against measles, you may be able to receive immunization to reduce the risk of infection. A vaccine dose 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.
As of Thursday afternoon, there have been 12 new cases in the province within the last 24 hours. There have been 996 cases of measles in Alberta this year. Per every 1,000 cases, one to three people die of measles.
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Alberta babies have been born with measles due to outbreaks, worrying doctors
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What is congenital measles Congenital measles occurs when the mother passes the infection along in the final two weeks of pregnancy and the baby is born infected, according to Castillo. It can spark severe complications in the infant, including brain inflammation and even death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Those babies can be very, very sick," said Castillo. Ontario announced earlier this month that a premature baby born with congenital measles had died. The infant's mother was unimmunized. At the time, health officials said measles was a "significant contributing factor" to the premature death but that the baby also had other serious health problems. In addition to a fever and rash, babies with congenital measles can be born with other symptoms, including inflammation of the liver, physicians are warning. "They potentially could also present with pneumonia or potentially have an infection around the brain, which is called encephalitis," said Reichert. If the baby is born early — and has congenital measles — there is a higher risk of serious lung disease due to the immaturity of their lungs, she added. And beyond the immediate health concerns, there are several potential and serious long-term consequences, including a rare but debilitating neurological illness that manifests years later. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a virus that hides in the brain for years. It eventually flares up, triggering brain inflammation and causing children or young adults to lose the ability to move and speak. In nearly all cases patients die. According to Reichert, the risk of this complication is believed to be higher when a baby is born with measles or is infected early in infancy. "It's a devastating consequence because it really isn't treatable," said Reichert. Babies can also experience immune system impacts that leave them more highly susceptible to illness, Castillo said. A major worry Measles is highly contagious and health officials have warned that given low immunization rates in parts of the province, official case counts are the tip of the iceberg and there are likely more cases going unreported. It's a major worry for physicians. "Everyone is concerned this is going to be happening for months at a time," Castillo said, adding that as case counts rise, so too do the chances that more babies will be infected and potentially face life-altering or life-threatening complications. She's concerned that Albertans don't fully understand the risks that go along with pregnancy and measles. "We have not had a concerted public health response, particularly to raise awareness about how serious it can be for babies and pregnant individuals," she said, adding she's glad the province shared the data it did when requested by CBC News. "But again they're not in the public domain. And that makes it very, very hard because we haven't had the concerted effort to raise awareness … and give people the tools to make decisions." CBC News asked the province if it will publish this information moving forward, but did not hear back prior to publication time. Reichert wants Albertans to understand the risks and she's urging everyone to ensure that they and their children are immunized to protect both themselves and others around them who may not be able to be immunized. Mothers who are immunized pass antibodies on to the fetus during pregnancy, offering protection during a baby's first few months of life. Post-exposure therapy The measles vaccine (MMR) is not generally recommended during pregnancy in Canada. Pregnant Albertans who are unimmunized and have been exposed to measles and infants under six months of age are among the high risk groups who may be offered immune globulin, a short-acting antibody medication that can protect against the virus. It must be given within six days of exposure. According to the province, 52 people have received it including 37 infants since the outbreaks began in March. The province did not say how many of the adults were pregnant. Alberta is also offering an early and extra dose of the measles vaccine to babies as young as six months living in the harder hit south, central and north zones.
