Alberta added 27 new measles cases over the weekend, with two found in the Edmonton area. Alberta Health Services reported another 17 new cases in the north zone and eight in the south. The new cases bring the total count since March to 1,217. Twelve of those cases were reported as being active and transmissible on Monday. The new Edmonton cases come after AHS alerted the public to multiple measles exposures in the capital city last week. On Monday, AHS reported two people were in hospital with the virus. That brings the total number of people hospitalized since March to 96, with 15 of them requiring intensive care. AHS said measles transmission in the community is ongoing across all zones, particularly the south, central and north zones. The vast majority of measles cases have been in unimmunized Albertans. People can protect themselves and people around them by ensuring their immunizations are up to date. More information on vaccine recommendations for different groups can be found on the AHS website. 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. Anyone who develops measles symptoms should stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family doctor or pharmacy.
