Measles may be circulating in small northeast B.C. community, says health authority

Akshay Kulkarni · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 14, 2025 3:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Northern Health officials person identified aggregate confirmed cases of measles successful the tiny northeast B.C. assemblage of Wonowon since precocious May.

It's besides informing of an vulnerability astatine Fort St. John Hospital earlier this month.

Wonowon is located astir 90 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John, and is the tract of the Halfway River First Nation reserve. The federation has a registered colonisation of conscionable nether 300 people, and the Wonowon School says its pupil colonisation comprises just nether 60 kids.

Members of the nationalist person been warned to cheque for symptoms of the disease, which has been seeing a resurgence successful Canada — peculiarly successful Ontario, wherever officials person counted 2,046 confirmed and probable cases of measles arsenic of May 31, and successful Alberta.

Northern Health says that it has recovered aggregate lab-confirmed cases of the illness successful Wonowon, though it did not stock an nonstop number. As of May 31, Health Canada says B.C. has reported 12 cases of measles.

"While it appears the archetypal lawsuit was travel-acquired, Northern Health Medical Health [officers] present judge the illness is circulating successful the community," reads a connection from Northern Health.

"Members of the nationalist successful Wonowon and neighbouring communities, including Fort St. John, whitethorn person been exposed successful assorted settings successful the assemblage since precocious May."

Northern Health adds that members of the nationalist whitethorn person been exposed to the illness astatine the Fort St. John Hospital exigency country connected June 2, betwixt midnight and 4 a.m. section time.

Measles is 1 of the astir contagious diseases known to humankind. Symptoms tin see a fever, coughing, a runny nose, and a blotchy reddish rash.

While wellness officials accidental astir radical are immune to the illness owed to anterior vaccination oregon infection, they're advising members of the nationalist to show for measles symptoms for up to 3 weeks, arsenic it is dispersed done the air.

In superior cases, measles tin origin complications similar inflammation of the brain, pneumonia and death.

WATCH | How aboriginal tin you get your kid a measles shot? 

They accidental that radical astatine hazard of getting the microorganism see those who person not been vaccinated against the illness oregon had a anterior infection, with wellness officials crossed Canada saying that astir of the cases they're seeing are successful unvaccinated people.

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine offer almost 100 per cent effectiveness successful the agelong term.  

The wellness authorization is advising anyone successful Wonowon who has been exposed to measles to telephone the Fort St. John Medical Clinic to publication a vaccination.

Officials are asking anyone who has a measles rash to self-isolate for astatine slightest 4 days if they're able.

If anyone is experiencing terrible symptoms, officials are asking them to telephone up earlier seeking wellness attraction truthful that doctors tin hole and forestall further illness spread.