AHS warns of potential measles exposure in Edmonton

The Edmonton health zone hasn't seen any new measles cases since the start of May, but experts fear the summer travel season could ramp up the spread.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued a warning Thursday about potential measles exposure in Edmonton as provincial cases near 1,000.

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The health authority said a person with confirmed measles was out in public while infected at the following locations:

Dollarama at Glenridding Village

• June 16 from about 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• June 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Grey Nuns Community Hospital Emergency Department

• 8 p.m. on June 18 to 1 a.m. June 1

Anyone who was at the two locations during the specific time frames may have been exposed to measles.

Those born in or after 1970 and have less than two documented doses of the measles vaccine may be at risk of developing the highly infectious disease.

Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3 C or higher, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts.

Complications of measles can include ear infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, premature delivery, and, rarely, death.

Should symptoms of measles develop, AHS advises people 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.

If you think you have been exposed and are not protected against measles, you may be able to receive immunization to reduce the risk of infection. A vaccine dose needs to be given within 72 hours of exposure to prevent measles. Babies under one year of age, people with severely weakened immune systems, and those who are pregnant may be able to receive immunoglobulin within six days of exposure to prevent disease.

As of Thursday afternoon, there have been 12 new cases in the province within the last 24 hours. There have been 996 cases of measles in Alberta this year. Per every 1,000 cases, one to three people die of measles.