Measles alert issued after confirmed case at Alberta Children’s Hospital

Alberta's measles outbreak is showing no signs of slowing down, and doctors and infectious disease experts say the situation is now critical.

A confirmed case of measles at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary has prompted a warning from Alberta Health Services.

The provincial health organization says someone confirmed to have measles was at the hospital’s emergency department while infectious.

AHS issued a public alert on Monday warning anyone who had been in the hospital’s ER between 10:08 a.m. and 2:14 p.m. on Sunday, July 13 may have been exposed.

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Anyone who attended the location during those times, was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine may be at risk for developing measles.

AHS is asking those impacted to self-monitor their systems and review their immunization records.

“Measles is an extremely contagious disease and the virus spreads easily through the air,” AHS warned.

Symptoms of measles include:

• A fever of 38.3° C or higher;
• A cough, runny nose and/or red eyes; and
• A rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs.

If symptoms of measles develop, you’re asked to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.