Northern Health sees uptick in active measles cases
Northern Health has the only four active cases of measles within B.C., according to the BCCDC’s latest update on September 4th.
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — There has been an increase in the number of active measles cases in Northern Health’s jurisdiction, according to the latest numbers from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
It announced four active cases, up from the one case reported in the last report on September 2nd. Currently, these are the only active cases in the province.
An ‘active’ case, as defined by the BCCDC, is four days after a rash appears or 10 days after symptoms start if the patient does not have a rash. If the BCCDC has no information on a person’s symptoms, it considers the virus active for 10 days.
Of the 242 total confirmed cases reported to health authorities in B.C., 175 – or 72 per cent – are within Northern Health’s region.
The closest to Northern Health’s confirmed numbers are Fraser Valley, with 36.
There are also 16 ‘probable’ measles cases – which have not been confirmed with a lab test yet – in the Northern Health region, which means its total case count could be as high as 191.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose and red or inflamed eyes that are sensitive to light.
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Additional symptoms can include a rash, which will start on the face and neck and spread to the arms, chest and legs over around four to seven days.
Symptoms can start between seven and 21 days after exposure to the virus. Severe cases of measles can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and even death.
Last week, Northern Health identified a new potential measles exposure incident at the Fort St. John Hospital’s emergency room between 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 28th and 1 a.m. on Friday, August 29th.
Anyone who thinks they have measles is urged to contact their primary care provider.
The latest measles information across B.C. can be found below:
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