Child contracts measles with exposure risk in Aylmer clinics and St. Thomas hospital
The child was not vaccinated, according to Southwestern Public Health
A child is in hospital sick with the measles as the health authority in the St. Thomas region warns people they may have been exposed in two different healthcare centres.
Southwestern Public Health said the child was unvaccinated, and others who are not immunized should watch for symptoms for the next 21 days. It said anyone who was in the St. Thomas Emergency Department or in the Aylmer ultrasound and dental clinic last week, could also be at risk of contracting the highly contagious virus.
Canada has seen a national surge in measles cases, with an outbreak currently declared in New Brunswick. The Public Health Agency of Canada says there were 100 cases as of Nov. 2, with Canada marking the first death in 35 years this past spring. An unvaccinated child under the age of five died in Hamilton.
"We are working quite closely with both health care settings to inform all known contacts. I want to stress that there was no gap in infection control processes identified at either location," says Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock.
The potential measles exposure could have happened at these locations:
- November 23, 2024, between 9:00PM and November 24, 2024, at 2:36AM at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital – Emergency Department
- November 21, 2024, between 2:30PM and 5:30PM at the Aylmer Ultrasound and Aylmer Family Dental clinics located at 418 Talbot Street West, Aylmer
The health unit is advising anyone who could've been exposed to check their immunization records and make sure they're up to date with two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Symptoms can appear within two to three weeks after exposure, Lock said, adding they could be vague at the beginning and feel similar to cold-like symptoms, including coughing, a runny nose, fever and sensitivity to light.
After several days, patients develop a red rash that can last up to a week, she said.
"This message is really intended for people who were at these locations that we cannot reach, such as people who visited even briefly during these timeframes. It is our responsibility to inform anyone as quickly as possible if they have been exposed to this virus."