One more new measles case confirmed in Northern Health region

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Northern Health has another new case of measles, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

The agency has released its latest case count update for the virus, showing one new confirmed case in the Northern Health region, bringing the total up to 196 compared to 195 cases as of Monday, September 22nd.

No other new cases were confirmed, meaning the total number across B.C. so far this year now sits at 268. Northern Health makes up roughly 73 per cent of all cases in the province in 2025.

The case count update also doesn’t list any new probable cases, meaning that number remains at 17, 16 of which were identified by Northern Health. That means the total case count across B.C. could be as high as 285.

According to the BCCDC, a probable case is a case with “clinical illness without lab confirmation or epidemiological link to a lab-confirmed case, but with recent travel to an area of known measles activity.”

The number of active cases also remains at zero. Cases are considered active for the first 10 days after it’s confirmed, the first 10 days after symptoms manifest or the first four days after a rash manifests.

Beyond the rash, which usually starts on the face and neck before spreading across the rest of the torso, common symptoms include red, inflamed eyes that are sensitive to light, as well as coughing, fever and runny nose.

According to the BCCDC, measles is a very serious disease, with one in 10 people who contract it ending up hospitalized. 

It can also lead to serious health complications like pneumonia and, in extreme cases, it can be fatal. People who are completely unvaccinated against measles, including kids younger than one year old, are at the greatest risk of infection.

Late last month, Northern Health identified a potential measles exposure incident at the Fort St. John Hospital’s emergency department between 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 28th and 1 a.m. on Friday, August 29th.

As of Thursday, September 25th, no new exposure incidents have been identified in the region since.

Anyone experiencing measles symptoms is urged to contact their primary care provider to book a test.

Look below to view the full case count update.