Alberta Health is advising the public about a possible exposure to measles in the southern half of the province. Officials say a patient with a confirmed case of the illness was in the Claresholm General Hospital’s emergency department last week. As a result, anyone who was at the location between 1:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on May 6 needs to monitor their symptoms and take precautions. Anyone who was born in or after 1970 and has fewer than two documented doses of the measles vaccine is particularly at risk, officials said. “Measles is an extremely contagious disease and the virus spreads easily through the air,” Alberta Health said in a release. Symptoms include a fever of 38.3 C or higher, cough, runny nose and/or red eyes and a rash that appears three to seven days after the onset of fever. According to the latest measles data, there have been five confirmed cases of the illness since the last update, with three of those in the Central Zone. Only four confirmed cases are considered active. Anyone with symptoms of measles is encouraged to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 for guidance. Alberta Health says the measles vaccine is “highly effective” and offered free of charge to all Albertans. It’s recommended that all residents receive two doses.
