No active measles cases in Northern Health, says BCCDC

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Several new cases of measles have been reported in the province, but there are no longer any active cases in the Northern Health region.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) latest case count update says there have been 99 cases of the disease reported in the province this year in total, up from 87 cases reported as of the previous update.

Seventy-one of those cases occurred within the Northern Health region, up from the 61 reported previously. However, despite the increase in total cases, the BCCDC says there are no longer any active cases in the Northern Health region.

The only remaining active case, according to the BCCDC, is in the Fraser Health area. Cases are marked as inactive if the patient is four days post-rash onset or, in the case of infection without a rash, 10 days after symptoms first begin.

One out-of-province measles case was also reportedly diagnosed within B.C.

Several measles exposure times and locations have also been outlined by Northern Health, including at the Fort St. John prenatal clinic, the Fort St. John emergency department waiting room and at North Peace Regional Airport.

In an interview with Energeticcity.ca, Northern Health chief medical health officer Dr. Jong Kim explained hospital-goers can expect to see and experience extra precautions, including a screening process.

Measles is spread through airborne droplets and can cause serious or life-threatening complications, with the most susceptible individuals being infants and elderly adults. 

Symptoms of measles include a fever, cough, runny nose and watery inflamed eyes, small red spots with white or blue-white centres and red, blotchy rashes starting on the face. The rash typically begins between the third and seventh day of illness, and lasts between four and seven days.

Anyone who is experiencing similar symptoms is encouraged to stay at home and connect with their care provider to get tested. 

According to Northern Health, one in 10 cases of measles will develop ear infections or pneumonia; one in 1,000 will experience permanent brain damage, blindness and deafness due to inflammation of the brain; and one in 3,000 cases result in fatalities. 

Several measles outbreaks have been reported around the world with a decline in immunization rates, and Northern Health encourages everyone to get vaccinated as it is the best form of protection.