Measles case found in Owen Sound Hospital

The measles virus, paramyxoviridae from the Morbillivirus family, transmission microscopy view. (BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images/File via CNN Newsource)

A case of the measles was discovered in the Owen Sound hospital.

The Grey Bruce Public Health Unit has sent out a release stating there was a laboratory-confirmed case of the measles in a Grey-Bruce resident.

The person arrived at Brightshores Health System’s Owen Sound Hospital at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday and remained at the hospital until about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

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The health unit says a measles virus can survive in the air and on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

Grey Bruce Public Health and Brightshores Health System have contacted all registered patients who were at the emergency department within the exposure window.

However, the health unit says individuals who were not registered, but were in the emergency department during this time may not have been identified and contacted.

People who were in the emergency department those 20-plus hours are advised to:

Confirm vaccination status: Ensure all individuals in the household are up to date on measles vaccination. In general, those born before 1970 are considered immune against measles. Two doses of a measles-containing vaccine are recommended for anyone born after 1970. If unsure of vaccination status, individuals should check with their healthcare provider or ICON.

If not protected against measles: individuals should contact their doctor or Public Health to receive post-exposure treatment, if it’s been six days or less since exposure, or to receive a measles-containing vaccine for lifelong protection.

Monitor for measles symptoms: which generally start seven to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms can include high fever, cold-like symptoms (cough/runny nose), sore eyes, and sensitivity to light. About three to seven days after symptoms begin, a rash typically appears. The rash looks like red spots and blotchy patches that start on the face then spread down the body, arms and legs.

If a person develops measles symptoms: they should immediately isolate at home and call their doctor or other healthcare provider. Household members who are not immune to measles should also stay home during this period and consult with public health.

If medical care is required: call ahead to a healthcare facility before arriving in-person, so the facility can take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading to others.

Ontario is currently experiencing a multi-jurisdictional measles outbreak. As of Wednesday, more than 660 measles cases have been reported in more than a dozen health units. 95% of the cases did not have immunity to measles or had unknown vaccination status.

The latest Grey-Bruce case is believed to be linked to travel outside of the area.

Measles can spread easily when an infected person coughs, talks, or sneezes, and another person breathes in virus particles. People with measles can be infectious from four days before to four days after the rash begins.

The health unit says vaccination is the best defence against measles. The efficacy of a single dose of a measles-containing vaccine is estimated to be 85% to 95%. With a second dose, efficacy is almost 100%.