A new measles case was reported at the Montreal airport and a hospital at the end of last week. Quebec public health reports that a child travelled through the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport on Friday and was checked in at Sainte-Justine Hospital emergency room on Saturday, while he was contagious. The boy was in the international arrivals area, including customs and baggage claim. Anyone who was in either location should check if they are vaccinated against the disease and monitor their symptoms until the end of October. Montreal public health advises those not protected against the disease who were present at either location to call Info-Sante, 811, to assess their situation and take preventative action. Measles symptoms include fever, nasal congestion, cough, red watery eyes, eyes sensitive to light and general discomfort. “It may take 5 to 21 days (on average 10 to 14 days) between exposure to the measles virus and onset of symptoms,” Quebec public health says. “As it is highly contagious, if you have symptoms of measles, call Info-Santé 811 before going to a medical clinic or emergency room.” It is the first measles case reported in Quebec since Sept. 20 in Valleyfield. In Canada, as of Sept. 26, 1,121 cases of measles had been reported, according to the weekly measles surveillance report. It should be noted that in November 2025, Canada officially lost its measles-free status, which it had held since 1998. The status was revoked by the Pan American Health Organization after it confirmed the ongoing transmission of the same strain of the virus for over a year. -- With files from The Canadian Press.
