Ontario measles case count tops 800, 155 new infections since last week

Ontario is grappling with a significant measles outbreak, with 155 new cases reported in the past week alone. This brings the total number of cases in the province to 816 since the outbreak began in the fall. The recent surge in cases comes after a period of relative stability, where the number of new cases appeared to be plateauing at around 100 per week.

According to Public Health Ontario, there have been 61 hospitalizations due to measles, with 47 of those being children. Unvaccinated children are the most affected group in this outbreak. While the majority of cases are concentrated in Ontario’s southwestern public health unit, the virus has spread to two additional public health units this week—Hamilton and Northeastern.

Dr. Susy Hota, division head for infectious diseases at the University Health Network, expressed her shock at the scale of the outbreak, stating that she has never seen such high numbers of measles cases in her career. She attributes the outbreak to lower vaccination rates, emphasizing the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles.

Dr. Ninh Tran, medical officer of health at Southwestern Public Health, highlighted a 130% increase in measles vaccinations at local public health clinics compared to last year. This increase has resulted in an additional 940 doses administered. Tran also emphasized the need for the province to digitize its immunization record system, citing the urgent need for an electronic vaccine registry to better track and understand vaccine coverage.

In addition to Ontario, other provinces are also grappling with measles outbreaks. Alberta’s case count nearly doubled to 46, Saskatchewan reported six infections, Quebec remained at 40 cases, and Manitoba reported 10 cases, including an exposure on a flight from Toronto to Winnipeg.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that typically presents with symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinctive red rash. Complications from measles can include pneumonia, brain inflammation, and even death. It is crucial for individuals to ensure they are vaccinated against measles to protect themselves and prevent the further spread of this dangerous virus.