Manitoba confirms 16 more measles cases, putting total at 60
In addition, 4 probable cases still need to be confirmed, province says
The number of measles cases continues to rise in Manitoba, with the total now sitting at 60 confirmed cases and four more probable ones.
That's up from 44 confirmed and four probable in last week's update from the provincial government.
The increase was recorded in spite of the province's move to expand eligibility for the measles vaccine in southern Manitoba, where most exposures and cases have been reported.
Effective May 14, infants as young as six months old who live in the Southern Health and Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority areas, who travel regularly or who have close contact with people in those regions are eligible to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The number of cases is being updated on the government's website every Wednesday.
The province also lists detailed information on the locations, times and days where public measles exposures have occurred.
Measles is characterized by a rash that appears on the face and progresses down the body several days after initial symptoms appear — generally seven to 21 days after exposure. It can be life-threatening and is more severe in children.
The disease spreads through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. Even a few minutes in the same space as a sick person poses infection risks, and the virus can linger on surfaces for two hours after an infected person leaves.
Measles was considered eliminated in Canada in 1998, but some imported cases result in time-limited outbreaks, Health Canada says.
As of May 3, there had been 1,593 confirmed and 253 probable cases in Canada in 2025, by far the most since 1998. The second most was 752 cases reported in all of 2011.