The number of measles cases in Manitoba this year has risen to 158, raising concern
7 cases have required hospitalization — and 1 person ended up in intensive care, Shared Health says
Manitoba confirmed 12 more measles cases in its weekly update posted online Wednesday, with the total number of confirmed cases now up to 158 from 146 the previous week.
Those numbers are up-to-date as of July 19, the province said. Manitoba also reported an additional probable case of the illness in its most recent update, in addition to eight other probable cases earlier this year — four in April and four in June.
The number of cases spiked in May, with 72 reported that month. So far in July, the province has recorded 39 confirmed cases and one probable case.
A provincial spokesperson said last week there had been seven measles cases in Manitoba that required hospitalization this year as of July 5. One person required admission to the intensive care unit, the spokesperson said in an email on July 17.
Winnipeg epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said the latest numbers are "a growing concern."
"We're certainly not seeing any kind of a decline that would make us comfortable," Carr said, noting how contagious the virus is to anyone not protected by vaccination or previous exposure.
Dr. Santina Lee, a medical officer of health with Manitoba Health, said the number of reported cases is likely lower than the actual number of infections.
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"That's not something unique to Manitoba. We are hearing a similar situation in other provinces across Canada," Lee said.
Canada achieved measles elimination status in 1998, but imported cases have resulted in outbreaks that started in New Brunswick in October.
As of July 12, there have been a total of 3,977 measles cases — 3,665 confirmed and 312 probable — across 10 jurisdictions in Canada this year, according to the latest data from Health Canada.
The highly infectious disease spreads through droplets formed in the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. Even a few minutes in the same space as a sick person poses infection risks, as the virus can linger on surfaces for two hours after an infected person leaves.
Symptoms of measles generally appear seven to 21 days after exposure, and may include a fever, runny nose, drowsiness and red eyes, Manitoba Health said. Small white spots can also appear on the inside of the mouth or throat.
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Dr. Lee said common complications from measles include breathing difficulties and, while more rare, brain swelling. Complications can also include ear infections and have an impact on vision and hearing. The people most at-risk are kids under the age of five, pregnant women and the immunocompromised.
Epidemiologist Carr said she's seen similar complications firsthand — as a child, she experienced brain swelling when she developed meningitis.
"I lost a significant portion of my hearing," Carr said. "It can lead to things from which you cannot recover."
Measles screening
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Shared Health said active measles screening started this month at Health Sciences Centre Children's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), ambulatory care clinics and Women's Hospital to minimize the risk of an outbreak.
The screenings, which are done in separate areas or through an intercom, were implemented to ensure patients and families stay safe as measles cases spread, the spokesperson said in a July 21 email.
Screening includes questions about possible symptoms and if the visitors have a rash.
Patients with appointments at the ambulatory care clinic who have the measles or have been exposed to the virus and feel sick should call the clinic about their appointment before going, the spokesperson said.
And if someone gets to a facility while showing symptoms of the measles, screening staff will consult with infectious disease physicians and infection control professionals to determine the appropriate next steps, the statement said.
Immunization
Immunization is the only way to protect people from contracting measles, the province said.
A two-dose measles vaccine program for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) is routinely provided for kids who are at least one year old, with the second dose given between the ages of four to six in Manitoba. If a child is exposed to measles, the province said a second dose can be given earlier.
Manitoba has expanded eligibility for vaccines to infants as young as six months old living in the Southern Health region and the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority area.
The province also extended vaccine eligibility to start at six months for children who were evacuated from their communities because of wildfires and who may be staying in southern Manitoba, where there have been measles outbreaks.
Epidemiologist Carr urged people to get vaccinated against the measles — and said the more it spreads, the more dangerous it can get.
"The more we give that virus more bodies to thrive in, the more that virus will have the opportunity to change," she said. "And then ... we could be in trouble."
With files from Zubina Ahmed