Huron Perth Public Health announces first measles case

Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) is reporting its first lab-confirmed measles case.

According to HPPH, it has completed case and contact tracing and will not be providing any additional public details about the case.

There is currently an outbreak of measles in southwestern Ontario, with most cases falling under the jurisdictions of Southwestern Public Health and Grand Erie Public Health.

Measles is a highly contagious virus. It is airborne and can remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. The virus can spread to other people when someone with measles coughs, sneezes, talks, or breathes.

Symptoms typically begin seven to 21 days after exposure and can include:

• Fever
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Drowsiness
• Irritability
• Red eyes
• Small white spots can appear on the inside of the mouth and throat but are not always present
• A red blotchy rash appears on the face and then spreads down the body (normally appears three to seven days after symptoms begin)

If you think you’ve been exposed, HPPH suggests you stay home and avoid contact with others. If you need medical care, call ahead before going to a healthcare facility.

HPPH believes the best way to protect against measles is vaccination.

The measles vaccine is included in Ontario’s publicly funded routine childhood immunization schedule. To be protected against measles, you should have two doses of measles-containing vaccine (i.e., MMR and/or MMRV), which are over 97% effective in preventing a measles infection.

Measles across Ontario

According to Public Health Ontario, between Oct. 28 to Feb. 26 there were 177 measles cases in Ontario; 127 were confirmed and 50 were probable cases.

Public Health Ontario data shows 85 cases were in the jurisdiction of Southwestern Public Health, which includes Oxford County, Elgin County and St. Thomas.

Another 79 cases were in areas covered by Grand Erie Public Health, which includes Brantford, Brant County, Haldimand County and Norfolk County.

All outbreaks were people born in or after 1970. 141 were children and adolescents and 36 were adults.

Eighteen cases, all in children who were unimmunized, have required hospitalization. One child was in intensive care.

Between 2013 and 2023 there were 101 confirmed cases of measles in Ontario