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London-area public health officials on alert for measles threat

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London-area public health officials are on high alert for measles as other major centres across Canada grapple with new cases of the potentially deadly vaccine-preventable disease.

Despite a growing number of cases in Ontario and Michigan, no suspected or confirmed measles cases have been reported to the London-area health unit recently, but it doesn’t mean the region shouldn’t be at the ready.

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“There’s heightened awareness all over. Everybody is cautious about it,” said Mary Lou Albanese, infectious disease manager at the Middlesex London Health Unit.

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“It most certainly can happen here and we are definitely on the alert for it.”

Just last week, Toronto Public Health announced it was investigating two travel-related adult cases of measles. In Ontario, there have been 10 measles cases so far in 2019, Public Health Ontario said Tuesday. All have been travel-related.

Last Thursday, public health authorities in Montreal declared an outbreak in the city after two adults contracted the disease from a child who was infected while travelling abroad. Officials are trying to track up to 400 people who may have been exposed to the virus.

Across the border, at least 40 measles cases have been reported in Detroit and its two neighbouring counties since mid-March.

Health unit officials in London have been meeting with other health care providers in the area, including family doctors and the London Health Sciences Centre, to boost awareness about the potential measles threat, Albanese said.

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In a statement, LHSC said its doctors and frontline health care workers know the signs and symptoms of the virus and are being vigilant, which is key to curbing a potential outbreak, Albanese said.

“They know to notify us as soon as possible, even if they just suspect it. Measles is a very virulent disease,” Albanese said. “Testing is extremely important, to get that confirmation and to minimize that individual being in contact with others.”

Measles – though it was declared eradicated in Canada in 1998 – is still endemic in several countries around the world. Keeping measles on the radar, even in communities without a single case, is a prudent move, Public Health Ontario physician Sarah Wilson said.

“For communities like London and other parts of Ontario, measles is truly just a flight away,” Wilson said. “The major driver (of measles cases) in Ontario is what’s outside of Ontario.”

The measles virus can be spread by coughing or sneezing and can live for up to two hours in the air. Symptoms include fever, a red blotchy rash, red watery eyes and white spots in the mouth. The disease can cause serious and potentially fatal complications.

The best way to prevent a measles infection is to get the vaccination, Albanese said. Since the measles, mumps and rubella is administered in two doses, people should also check with their doctor or local health unit to make sure they’ve received both.

“People may really think their immunizations are up to date and that’s really why we want to ensure people, especially if they’re planning trips for the summer, think about measles,” Wilson said.

jbieman@postmedia.com

twitter.com/JenatLFPress

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