Alberta Health Services (AHS) is warning of a potential measles exposure in Edmonton as a person with a confirmed case was at the University of Alberta Hospital on Wednesday. People who were at the Stollery Children’s Hospital emergency department or the University of Alberta Hospital foyers on July 2 between 7:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. may have been exposed to the highly-infectious disease. Anyone who was at these locations during the specified times, who was born in or after 1970 and has fewer than two documented doses of the measles vaccine may be at risk of developing measles. 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. The advisory comes after 10 new cases were confirmed in the province since Wednesday afternoon. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 1,179 measles cases in Alberta. The Government of Canada has reported 3,526 measles cases across the country within the same time period. Alberta has the second-most cases in the country, trailing behind Ontario which has had 2,216 cases this year.
