Officials warn of measles exposure at Strathcona Community Hospital emergency department

Strathcona Community Hospital. (Dave Mitchell/CTV News Edmonton)

People who visited the Strathcona Community Hospital emergency department on Feb. 16 may have been exposed to measles, Alberta’s health authority is warning.

The government on Friday put out a public health alert for anyone who had been in the department’s waiting room between 1:40 p.m. and 4 p.m. The hospital is located in Sherwood Park.

Those who were born in or before 1970 and have fewer than two documented doses of vaccine may be at risk for developing measles and should monitor for symptoms.

Measles is extremely contagious and spreads easily through the air.

Symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash that starts three to seven days after the fever begins.

Anyone who develops measles should stay at home and call Alberta’s measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting a health-care facility.