Three new measles cases, all linked to Ontario traveller, confirmed in southern Alberta

Jennifer Lee · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 5:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Three caller measles cases person been confirmed successful Alberta, pushing the southbound wellness portion into outbreak status.

The further cases, reported midday connected Monday, are each successful the aforesaid household that was visited by an Ontario nonmigratory who travelled to the Taber country and tested affirmative earlier successful March, prompting a recent public wellness alert.

There person present been 17 confirmed cases spanning 4 provincial wellness zones, including 3 successful the southbound zone, 2 successful the Calgary zone, 4 successful the Edmonton portion and 8 successful the northbound zone. 

The Ontario nonmigratory is not counted successful Alberta's total.

Each of those 4 wellness zones present person measles outbreaks, meaning determination are 2 oregon much linked cases successful a fixed zone.

All but 1 of the Alberta residents who've tested affirmative truthful acold are nether the property of 18. One is betwixt the ages of 35 and 54. No one is presently hospitalized.

Measles is an highly contagious and perchance unsafe airborne virus.

• Do you request different measles changeable arsenic an big successful Alberta? You might

According to the province, it tin pb to a fig of complications — including receptor infections, swelling of the brain, and lung infections — and between 1 and 3 retired of each 1,000 radical who are infected volition die.

Symptoms include:

• high fever
• cough
• runny nose
• red eyes
• a blotchy, reddish rash that appears three to 7 days aft the fever starts

"You tin get measles conscionable by passing done a country oregon determination wherever a idiosyncratic who is infected was up to two hours before," the Alberta Health Services (AHS) website states.

Health officials are urging Albertans to guarantee they and their children are up-to-date connected their measles immunizations, noting much than 90 per cent of radical who are not immune to measles and travel into interaction with it will go infected.

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Provincial information shows, successful 2023, 59.6 per cent of children successful the southbound portion were afloat vaccinated (with 2 doses) by their 2nd birthday. The people is 95 per cent.

Even little rates were reported successful localized areas, including the County of Forty Mile astatine 27 per cent and the Municipal District of Taber which reported 28.4 per cent.

The provincial mean successful 2023 was 69.3 per cent.

How to get immunized

Alberta Health said determination are nary plans for further drop-in immunization clinics successful the southbound portion astatine this time.

Alberta's regular immunization programme recommends children get their archetypal measles dose astatine 12 months of property and the 2nd astatine 18 months.

Free measles immunizations for eligible radical tin beryllium booked done Health Link astatine 811 oregon by contacting your local community wellness centre.

AHS has a web leafage dedicated to accusation connected imaginable vulnerability locations, advisories and immunization information.

And Alberta Health posts updates connected measles cases connected weekdays astatine 12:30 p.m. here.

Albertans who are unsure of their immunization past tin text "vaccine record" to 88111 or telephone Health Link (811).

People 14 years of property and older can besides check MyHealth Records.