Northern Health reports one more measles patient in latest update as cases continue to climb

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The number of measles cases in the Northern Health region increased by just one in the province’s latest update.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) update on August 21st, the health authority covering the northeast has accounted for 143 of the 197 confirmed cases in B.C. this year – more than 72 per cent.

It’s just one more patient compared to the last update on August 18th, as cases continue to steadily rise. 

Northern Health has also reported 16 ‘probable’ cases, which are logged when a patient has symptoms and recently travelled to “an area of known measles activity,” but lab tests haven’t yet confirmed it.

Elsewhere in B.C., Fraser Health has reported 24 confirmed cases in 2025, Interior Health 16, Vancouver Coastal Health 10 and Island Health four. 

There is only one person with an ‘active’ measles illness across B.C., and they are being treated by Northern Health. 

Measles infections are considered to be ‘active’ or communicable for four days after a rash appears or, if the patient doesn’t have a rash, 10 days after they first noticed other symptoms. If the BCCDC has no available information on a person’s illness, it considers the case ‘active’ for 10 days after it’s reported. 

This comes amid a 2025 outbreak of the disease, which the BCCDC warns can cause hospitalizations, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and even death. 

The virus spreads through both direct contact and in the air, for example when a person with measles breathes, coughs or sneezes.

Symptoms, which can start between one to three weeks after infection, include a fever, cough, runny nose and red, inflamed eyes which are sensitive to light. All this can be followed by a rash which starts on the face and neck, and spreads to the chest, arms and legs.

This week, Northern Health issued a warning to anyone who was in the Fort St. John Hospital’s emergency department on Monday, August 18th between 1:50 p.m. and 4:20 p.m., because they may have been exposed to the virus.

Anyone who believes they might have contracted measles should contact their healthcare provider to get tested, calling in advance of their appointment so the team can ensure other patients are not put at risk. 

B.C.’s deputy health officer, Dr. Martin Lavoie, this week encouraged parents to make sure their children’s vaccinations are up to date – including for measles – before they head back to school this year.