Latest news with #measles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Alberta babies have been born with measles due to outbreaks, worrying doctors
As the province's measles case count approaches 1,000, health experts are raising the alarm about Alberta babies who are being born already infected with the virus. The provincial government has confirmed cases of congenital measles, which can lead to severe complications, including death, have already occurred as a result of this year's outbreaks. Pregnant Albertans are also testing positive. "Fewer than five cases of congenital measles have been reported in Alberta in 2025. In each case, the mother was not immunized. Information on whether the infants were born prematurely is not available," an official with Primary and Preventative Health Services said in an email. "To date, there have been 20 confirmed cases of measles in pregnant individuals. Fewer than five have been hospitalized due to the infection." The Alberta government does not publish this information publicly. CBC News asked for the data after Ontario reported a premature baby, born infected with measles, died. That province has reported seven cases of congenital measles since mid-October. When CBC News asked for more detailed data, an official said the province limits the release of information when case numbers are very small for privacy reasons. The data was up-to-date as of June 12. No measles deaths have been reported in Alberta since the outbreaks began this year. As of June 14, a total of 85 Albertans had been hospitalized due to the infection, including 14 intensive care unit admissions. By midday Thursday, the province's total measles case count had climbed to 996. Pregnant individuals are at higher risk of complications from measles. "We're extremely concerned about the potential for exposures for unimmunized mothers, in particular during pregnancy, given that there is an increased risk for premature birth and complications that are pretty significant for the mother," said Dr. Amber Reichert, an Edmonton-based neonatologist. "There is an extremely high risk to either pregnancy loss or potentially an early birth or potentially the babies becoming infected as well." A recent editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal warned of these serious consequences. Premature birth itself comes with risks, including underdeveloped lungs and babies requiring breathing support. In addition, pregnant people can get very sick from a measles infection, often due to pneumonia. "There is a ten-fold higher risk of death when a person who is pregnant gets measles," said Dr. Eliana Castillo, an obstetrician and clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Calgary. 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. 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. 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.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Glastonbury 2025 ‘could be a superspreader event' – here's how to protect yourself
If you – or your children – are heading off to Glastonbury next week, there's an increasing risk you'll come home with more than just muddy wellies and a hangover. Infectious diseases are always rife at festivals, but as 200,000 people prepare to descend on Worthy Farm in Somerset, this year there's an unholy alliance of risk factors – and of catching one nasty disease in particular. 'We could be seeing a superspreader event, along the lines of Boardmasters in 2021,' says Dr Chris Smith, a consultant virologist and lecturer at Queens' College, Cambridge. 'It's exactly the same recipe: a mass gathering – and a susceptible demographic.' Four years ago, the virus was Covid, but this year, festival-goers run the risk of contracting measles – far more infectious than coronavirus, and with a higher chance of causing serious illness. Measles is also potentially more fatal. First things first: any old hippies going to Glastonbury need not worry so much. Dr Dana Parr is a GP at the Bath Clinic in Somerset – down the road from the festival. 'People born before 1957 are deemed to have natural immunity,' she says. 'From 1968, there was a very effective single vaccine, then after 1988, the combined MMR.' Those vaccinated between 1957 and 1968 received a less effective version, so may need a booster shot (your immunity can be determined by a blood test). The generation most at risk of measles According to Dr Smith, the MMR generation now in their 20s – and the most likely to go to Glastonbury – are the ones at specific risk. 'These are exactly the demographic coming downstream from the Andrew Wakefield scandal,' he says. Dr Smith is referring to the 1998 paper published in The Lancet journal in which the now-disgraced Wakefield implied a link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and a 'new syndrome' of autism and bowel disease. The paper was later roundly discredited and Wakefield struck off – but the damage had been done, and thousands of parents in the late 1990s and early 2000s refused to get their babies vaccinated. One in five children in England is estimated to have missed out on their MMR jabs – in some areas, it's one in four. The 'anti-vaxx' movement is still thriving. According to Dr Smith, for the measles vaccine to be effective, 95 per cent of the country needs to have had it. 'Measles is the most infectious virus of all,' he says. 'You remember when we talked about the 'R' (or reproduction) number during Covid? Covid has an 'R' number of three, flu's is two – and measles' is around 22.' Imagine, then, how much more infectious it must be at a crowded arena such as Glastonbury. 'People squashed together, their faces in each other's faces, yelling in one another's ear to be heard against the music, wiping spit off their cheeks – it's a minefield,' says Dr Smith, who is 50. 'Personally, I can't stand the idea of a festival – I can't imagine anything worse,' he says. 'My kids went to Boardmasters and it sounded like hell on earth.' The health risks of measles 'Measles is a respiratory illness: those little sprays of droplets are little bubbles of virus, and you are breathing them in,' says Dr Smith. And while we may think of measles as nothing more than a nasty rash, Dr Smith is keen to set the record straight. 'Measles still kills 150,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and India,' he says. 'The mortality rate has come down by 90 per cent, thanks to vaccination, but even in countries like the UK, it can be fatal.' There was one measles-related death in the UK in 2024. 'The overriding symptom of measles is misery,' says Dr Smith. 'The respiratory infection can turn into pneumonia. Then it affects every single tissue in your body – rash is a sign of that. You can get conjunctivitis, gastric symptoms and even encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Measles is no laughing matter: someone I know lost a twin sister to the disease.' Since the start of the year, 420 cases of the virus have been recorded in England, though officials say this is likely to be an underestimate. Two thirds of cases have been in children under 10 – the majority of whom were unvaccinated. 'We are seeing young adults and older adults catching measles,' says Dr Parr. 'It's not just a childhood disease.' How can I stop myself catching measles at Glastonbury? 'Either you wear an FFP protective mask and goggles, or you wear this preventative clothing called a vaccine. Otherwise, there is very little you can do to avoid infection. It would be like going into a building that's on fire and hoping not to get burnt,' says Dr Smith. Even if you haven't had your MMR vaccine, it's not too late. The vaccine – which offers lifelong protection – consists of two doses: the first is normally given when a child turns one year old, and then again at three years and four months (the age at which the second jab is administered is coming down to 18 months from July 1). However, the MMR vaccine can be given to a person at any age. 'The MMR takes three weeks to reach full immunity, but even if you are now exposed to measles, it attenuates serious infection, and reduces the chances of severe symptoms,' says Dr Smith. 'A significant proportion of people only had their first doses first time around and there was a lower uptake of the second – so if that's you, get a booster. Ask your GP now.' Dr Parr says that you can check your MMR status on the NHS app. What other infectious diseases are prevalent at festivals? Enteroviruses, such as colds, as well as flu These are spread in a similar way to measles, says Dr Parr. 'But there isn't much flu circulating at the moment: it's still minor, so unlikely to be a major concern this year,' she says. Food poisoning, such as norovirus and e-coli E-coli is a serious bacterial infection that can lead to renal failure. 'In 1999, there was an outbreak of e-coli at Glastonbury which came from infected mud (the infection originally came from cows),' she says. Be vigilant washing your hands and rinse fresh food. Norovirus – which causes diarrhoea and vomiting – also spreads in a festival setting. 'This comes from faecal-oral transmission, basically, people not washing their hands properly and then touching their eyes or mouth,' says Dr Parr. 'Make sure you look after your personal hygiene.' Whooping cough ' There's been a huge increase in this, and kids have died,' says Dr Smith. 'This is again due to low uptake of the vaccine, and a lack of immunity in the rest of the population.' The vaccine isn't normally recommended for adults unless they are pregnant, or with young children. Aside from a vaccine, wash your hands regularly and make sure people cover their mouths when they cough. Covid Covid is still doing the rounds. 'I saw two new cases in my clinic today,' says Dr Smith. ' There's a new variant going around but we don't know much about it because the government has turned off the sequencing.' Traditional Covid measures apply though more challenging to implement at a festival: wash your hands regularly and keep your distance. STIs such as chlamydia, genital warts and gonorrhoea 'We see a spike in these after festivals – or at least, people are worried about having been exposed to them,' says Dr Parr. 'In this free-spirited party atmosphere, people's barriers are lower.' Always have safe sex, using a condom.
CBC
8 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Alberta babies have been born with measles due to outbreaks, worrying doctors
Social Sharing As the province's measles case count approaches 1,000, health experts are raising the alarm about Alberta babies who are being born already infected with the virus. The provincial government has confirmed cases of congenital measles, which can lead to severe complications, including death, have already occurred as a result of this year's outbreaks. Pregnant Albertans are also testing positive. "Fewer than five cases of congenital measles have been reported in Alberta in 2025. In each case, the mother was not immunized. Information on whether the infants were born prematurely is not available," an official with Primary and Preventative Health Services said in an email. "To date, there have been 20 confirmed cases of measles in pregnant individuals. Fewer than five have been hospitalized due to the infection." The Alberta government does not publish this information publicly. CBC News asked for the data after Ontario reported a premature baby, born infected with measles, died. That province has reported seven cases of congenital measles since mid-October. When CBC News asked for more detailed data, an official said the province limits the release of information when case numbers are very small for privacy reasons. The data was up-to-date as of June 12. No measles deaths have been reported in Alberta since the outbreaks began this year. As of June 14, a total of 85 Albertans had been hospitalized due to the infection, including 14 intensive care unit admissions. By midday Thursday, the province's total measles case count had climbed to 996. Serious complications Pregnant individuals are at higher risk of complications from measles. "We're extremely concerned about the potential for exposures for unimmunized mothers, in particular during pregnancy, given that there is an increased risk for premature birth and complications that are pretty significant for the mother," said Dr. Amber Reichert, an Edmonton-based neonatologist. "There is an extremely high risk to either pregnancy loss or potentially an early birth or potentially the babies becoming infected as well." A recent editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal warned of these serious consequences. Premature birth itself comes with risks, including underdeveloped lungs and babies requiring breathing support. In addition, pregnant people can get very sick from a measles infection, often due to pneumonia. "There is a ten-fold higher risk of death when a person who is pregnant gets measles," said Dr. Eliana Castillo, an obstetrician and clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Calgary. 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.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Ontario's measles outbreak through the eyes of front-line workers
Emergency department charge nurse David Lambie outside the emergency entrance of the Woodstock General Hospital in Woodstock, Ont., Thursday, May 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne ST. THOMAS — Health-care workers battling measles in southern Ontario say they think about the outbreak from the moment they wake until the moment they sleep. They say treating and tamping down the surge of a disease most have never seen in their lifetime is constant. Some have even been infected by patients who unwittingly spread the highly infectious illness while seeking help for early but general symptoms — fevers and coughs are common before the telltale rash appears days later. Measles has spread to more than 3,000 people in Canada this year. More than 2,000 of those infected are in Ontario. Here's a look at caregivers on the front lines of an outbreak that has particularly struck a region south and east of London. 'The unlucky ones' Carly Simpson considers herself one of the 'unlucky ones.' Five days after developing a sore throat, body aches and fever, the nurse practitioner gazed at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, stunned to see red splotches all over her body. 'Oh my gosh this is measles,' Simpson gasped. She said measles never crossed her mind when she first fell ill mid-March, suspecting a more likely cause was her autoimmune disease, ankylosing spondylitis, which leads to chronic pain and inflammation. After all, the vast majority of cases had been among the unvaccinated and Simpson said she had been inoculated three times — including a booster in 2015 after a test revealed her previous two shots didn't lend full immunity. Simpson said she had been assured at the beginning of the outbreak that three shots would be enough to protect her. She still got sick and was essentially bedridden for days, only mustering enough energy to walk to the bathroom. But she said the rash only lasted a day and never spread to her husband or kids. 'I had a mild case because I've been vaccinated,' said Simpson, among five per cent of the outbreak's cases to involve vaccinated people. She suspected she was infected by a patient who came to her clinic with virus symptoms a couple of weeks earlier. Early symptoms can seem like other illnesses until the rash appears, leaving health-care workers who examine them vulnerable to exposure. 'Is this just a common cold? Is it just some viral infection?' she said of the questions that dog caregivers. Shawn Cowley was unlucky, too. He noticed white spots inside his cheeks in late April, and then a red blotchy rash on his forehead that migrated down his face, and onto his shoulders and arms. 'Fortunately for me, because I was fully vaccinated I didn't get the full brunt of measles,' he said, explaining that the rash otherwise would have covered his whole body. Still, it took about a week for his body to recover from the exhaustion. Cowley is a key player in measles containment as head of emergency management and preparedness at the local health unit, Southwestern Public Health. His case was traced to his son's hockey tournament. He eventually told his colleagues that he contracted measles but noted there is 'a stigma' associated with the illness. Cowley also felt guilty for going to the grocery store and filling up on gas before he was symptomatic, potentially spreading it to others. 'When you find out you do potentially have measles, and the number of people I've exposed, understanding how virulent measles is, that's a really hard thing to deal with personally because you put other people at risk.' 'Slow burn' Dr. Erica Van Daalen calls the outbreak a 'slow burn' but one that has required close collaboration among local hospitals to safely treat and isolate measles patients. The chief of staff at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital said she might see one to three patients in the emergency department on an average day, and often they are children. As of late May, three infected pregnant women had delivered babies and 15 kids had been admitted. Those include young patients transferred from hospitals in Woodstock and Tillsonburg, which don't have pediatric units. 'It's a lot of one-on-one bedside nursing,' Van Daalen said in an interview earlier this spring. 'When the days are busy, it wears on the nurses.' Less than seven per cent of Ontario's cases have ended up in hospital. But the logistics of safely admitting a measles patient is like expert-level Tetris. Masked patients are ushered through back doors to negative pressure rooms that keep contaminated air from escaping into other areas of the hospital and infecting more people. The room is sealed and has a system that filters and exchanges the air. Exposure risks are avoided as much as possible, even trips to the bathroom, said Sangavi Thangeswaran, a registered nurse and an infection control practitioner at both Alexandra Hospital Ingersoll and Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital. 'We ask the patient to stay in there. If they need anything like using the washroom, we try to give them commodes or urinals, just to lessen the exposures,' Thangeswaran said. There are five negative pressure rooms at Woodstock Hospital. When they're full, patients are assessed in the ambulance garage, said David Lambie, a charge nurse in Woodstock's emergency department. It is an extra layer of logistics to navigate, said Lambie, whose hospital has cared for 108 measles patients since January, 55 of them kids. Once a patient is well enough for discharge, their negative pressure room is left empty for half-an-hour while contaminated air is expunged. Then it's deep cleaned for the next patient, said Thangeswaran. She said each of her Oxford County hospitals initially had just one negative pressure room in each emergency department but as cases swelled they created three more. As of June 12, her team had cared for 14 measles patients in Ingersoll and 64 in Tillsonburg. 'Inherent challenge' Van Daalen, of the hospital in St. Thomas, said deciding whether to discharge a kid sick with measles sometimes keeps her up at night. 'You hesitate to send them home because you're not quite sure how they're going to land,' she said. 'There are some later-term consequences for kids who have measles. It's a very rare complication, but we'll have to keep our surveillance up.' Dr. Ninh Tran said he felt like he was approaching burnout in late February. Ontario's weekly case count had nearly doubled to 177 over a two-week period ending Feb. 27, with almost half of the overall cases located in his southwestern public health unit. Pressure was high to trace cases, halt community spread and stop infections. Measles was on his mind every moment of the day and night. 'You could sense a bit of tension and anxiety in all this discussion,' Tran recalled in late May. 'It's always like a temporary feeling of doubt, fear, anxiety when we see numbers go up and there's just a lot of things coming right at you,' Tran said of the outbreak's early days. 'And then you have to step back and say, 'OK, it's not going to be helpful if I get stressed because I need to — and other leaders have to — figure out a way to move forward.' The spread of measles has ebbed and flowed, but Tran noted a steady decline of new cases mid-June. 'While it's still early to confirm a persistent pattern, the consistency of the decrease does suggest a potential shift in the trajectory of the outbreak,' said Tran. 'We are cautiously encouraged.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press
CTV News
18 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
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.
