Latest numbers: Measles cases continue to climb in northeast B.C.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The number of measles patients in northeast B.C. this year is continuing to steadily climb, with four new cases confirmed this week. 

In its weekly update, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) lays out the number of people who have contracted the virus – both definitely and probably – in each health authority area around the province. 

A confirmed case is either lab-tested or linked to one which is, and while ‘probable’ cases do not have that guarantee, the person has recently travelled to an area of “known measles activity.”

On November 27th, the BCCDC reported there have been 292 confirmed and 22 ‘probable’ infections in the Northern Health area this year – 314 in total. That’s up from 287 confirmed last week (November 20th), but no change to the ‘probable’ number. 

Broken down further to just Northern Health’s northeast region, the BCCDC reports there have been 278 cases confirmed, an increase from 274 last week. The northeast is also where all Northern Health’s probable cases originated. 

The B.C.-wide total case count – probable plus confirmed – has also now hit 389, up from 383 a week prior. 

That means Northern Health now accounts for 80 per cent of the province’s total cases, and the northeast has seen 95 per cent of Northern Health’s cases.

As of November 27th, there is also currently one ‘active’ or communicable case in B.C., and the person is in northeast B.C. That’s down from four ‘active’ cases – also all in our region – last week. 

The virus is considered active for either four days after a rash appears or for 10 days after other symptoms start if the person doesn’t get a rash or if the BCCDC does not have information on their symptoms. 

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose and red and inflamed eyes that are sensitive to light, followed by a rash lasting up to a week. The patient may also have small white spots inside their mouth.

It can be a dangerous illness, especially for vulnerable people, with the BCCDC reporting almost one in 10 people being hospitalized. 

The virus spreads through the air when a patient coughs, sneezes or even breathes. 

With the B.C. outbreak concentrated in the northeast, there have been several warnings issued of measles exposure incidents around 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 Road, 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.
• Fort St. John’s Ecole Central Elementary School from November 5th to 7th. 
• Fort St. John Hospital emergency room from 7:10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on November 4th.
• Fort St. John Hospital emergency room from midnight to 1 a.m. on November 5th.
• Olympus Cards And Collectibles, 9129 96a Street, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on November 12th.
• Walmart Supercentre, 9007 96a Street, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on November 14th.
• North Peace Leisure Pool, 9505 100th Street, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on November 14th.
• Fort St. John Hospital emergency room from 6:15 p.m. on November 14th to 2:35 a.m on November 15th.

Anyone who thinks they have measles is urged to contact their primary care provider. 

Keep up to date with Energeticcity.ca’s coverage of the outbreak here. 

Read the full BCCDC update below.