Manitoba measles case total rises to 146 as province warns of 3 recent exposure sites

Manitoba has seen 16 more confirmed cases of measles, and the province is asking people who were at three recent  exposure sites in rural communities to monitor for potential symptoms.

According to the province's most recent data, updated Wednesday, there were 16 new confirmed cases between July 5 and 12, bringing the total number of confirmed measles infections to 146 so far this year. There have also been eight probable cases — four in April and four in June.

The number of cases spiked in May, with 72 reported.

A total of 28 confirmed cases were reported in June, and there have been nearly as many — 27 — reported so far this month.

Public health officials also announced on Wednesday three sites in south-central Manitoba where people may have been exposed to measles recently.

They include the workshop building on 55 Spruce St. in the rural municipality of Roland, 80 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg. Anyone who was there between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. July 8 through July 11 is being asked to monitor their symptoms until between July 30 and Aug. 2.

There was an additional measles exposure at the Walmart at 1000 Navigator Rd. in Winkler, about 100 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg. Anyone at that location on July 12 from noon to 2:30 p.m. should watch for any emerging symptoms until Aug. 3.

And there was also an exposure in the surgical unit of Boundary Trails Health Centre, which services residents from Winkler, nearby Morden and the surrounding areas. Anyone in the vicinity of that unit on July 11 between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., or on July 12 from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., should watch for symptoms until Aug. 2-3.

Anyone who was in any of the exposure sites during the times listed should check their immunization records to see if and when they were vaccinated against measles, particular anyone born 1970 or later or who has never been vaccinated against the disease, the province said in a news release Wednesday.

Canada achieved measles elimination status in 1998, but imported cases have resulted in outbreaks that started in New Brunswick in October. From Dec. 29 to July 5, there had been 3,822 reported measles cases in Canada, according to the latest data from Health Canada (3,517 confirmed and 305 probable).

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 says. Small white spots can also appear on the inside of the mouth or throat.

Immunization is the only way to protect people from contracting measles, the province says.

A two-dose measles vaccine program for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) is routinely provided for kids at least one year old and again at age 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.

A list with detailed information on the locations, times and days where the public might have been exposed to measles is available on the province's website.