All six new B.C. measles cases arise in northeast

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has reported six new cases of measles in northeast B.C.

According to the November 13th BCCDC report, six new measles cases have been confirmed in the province, all reported by Northern Health in the northeast. 

The northeast also has five cases which are considered ‘active,’ down from nine reported in the November 6th BCCDC report.

Cases of measles are classified as active within the first four days of a rash forming on the body, the first 10 days after symptoms first appear, or for 10 days after a case is confirmed if it is asymptomatic. 

This brings the provincial total for confirmed cases of measles to 343, and when accounting for 23 probable cases of measles, there could have been as many as 366 B.C. cases so far in 2025.

Of those, Northern Health accounts for about three-quarters of confirmed cases (257), and all but one of the probable cases. 

On November 10th, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced the country’s measles elimination status had been removed because the ongoing transmission of the same strain of measles had been circulating for more than one year. 

Symptoms of measles include a cough, fever, runny nose as well as red and inflamed eyes that are sensitive to light.

A rash can also appear starting on the face and neck before spreading to the torso. 

A variety of exposure locations were recently announced by Northern Health in Fort St. John:

• The Fort St. John Hospital emergency room from 8:08 p.m. to 1:10 a.m. on October 26th to 27th.
• Beem Credit Union, 10344 100th Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on October 27th.
• Scotiabank, 9910 100th Street, from 9:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. on October 27th.
• Humpty’s Big Plate Diner, 11724 Alaska Road North, from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on October 27th.
• No Frills, 9831 98A Avenue, from 11:25 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.​ on October 27th.
• Packaging Depot Fort St. John, 6419 B Airport Rd, 11:30 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. on October 27th.
• Mama Panda, 9608 100th Street, from 6 p.m. to 9:55 p.m. on October 27th.
• The Fort St. John Hospital emergency room from 7:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on October 29th.
• The Fort St. John Hospital emergency room from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 30th.
• The Fort St. John Curling Club from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on November 2nd. 

Individuals who have been exposed to the virus are contagious before they begin to show symptoms, and the virus spreads easily through droplets left in the air by an infected person coughing, sneezing and breathing. 

Individuals who believe they may have been exposed to the virus are asked to monitor for symptoms and contact their primary care provider for testing. 

To read the complete BCCDC report, see below.