Measles Outbreak Continues in Ontario with 182 New Cases

Health officials in Ontario have reported that measles has infected an additional 182 individuals over the past week, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 1,622 since the outbreak began in October.

According to Public Health Ontario’s measles report, there have been 119 hospitalizations, including nine cases that required intensive care.

Of those hospitalized, a staggering 95% were unvaccinated, with 89 of them being children.

This marks the third consecutive week that Ontario has seen new cases in the 200-range, which is considered to be on the higher end since experts started tracking the weekly spread of the disease.

Dr. Ninh Tran from the Southwestern Public Health Unit described the recent surge in cases as “significant.” While most of the new cases are concentrated in his public health unit, he reassures that the majority of cases are no longer infectious.

“This week has seen the highest number of cases, largely due to enhanced detection efforts and significant transmission within households,” Tran stated.

The Southwestern region has reported 104 new cases over the past week, which is higher than the provincial data due to differences in reporting periods.

Meanwhile, in Alberta, measles cases have reached nearly 400 since mid-March, with over 120 cases reported in children under the age of five.

It is important to note that the highly contagious disease continues to primarily affect unvaccinated children, infants, and teenagers in both Ontario and Alberta.