BCCDC confirms three more measles cases to end 2025, all in Northern Health region

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Northern Health has reported three more confirmed measles cases around the province over Christmas. 

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control’s December 29th case count update, all three of the province’s new confirmed cases were reported by Northern Health, two in the northeast and one in the northern interior. 

This update follows a December 18th report which detailed four new cases from across the province. 

The cases bring the province’s total for 2025 to 389, and Northern Health reported total to 338, or 81.6 per cent of reported cases. Of those 338, 294 were discovered in the northeast. 

There have been 25 ‘probable’ cases reported this year, with 24 being reported by Northern Health and 23 of those originating from northeast B.C. These cases bring the provincial total to 414.

A case is considered ‘probable’ if the person who is ill recently travelled to an area of “known measles activity,” but a laboratory has yet to confirm if the ailment is measles. 

There is currently only one active case of measles present in the province, and it is located in the northern interior region of Northern Health. 

Cases are considered ‘active’ if they are within the first four days of a rash developing, or the first 10 days after other symptoms have begun if the person is not experiencing a rash. Cases can also be considered active if the BCCDC doesn’t have information on their symptoms at the time of the report. 

Symptoms often include red, light-sensitive eyes, a cough, fever and a runny nose. The aforementioned rash can last up to a week, and spreads from the face and neck to the upper body. 

These symptoms may begin between seven and 12 days after the infection spreads to a person, and the virus spreads easily through air-born droplets from breathing, coughing and sneezing. 

The virus can be dangerous, especially vulnerable people, and result in one in 10 people requiring hospitalization with serious complications such as pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and death. 

If a person suspects they have measles or may have been exposed to the virus, the BCCDC advises they isolate themselves and seek testing from their primary care provider. 

To read Energeticcity.ca’s coverage of the measles outbreak in northeast B.C., visit our measles page.

The B.C. Ministry of Health reported a 65 per cent increase in measles vaccination administrations across northern B.C. year-on-year in November.

To read the full report, see below.