Saskatchewan health officials are warning of a potential measles exposure in Saskatoon earlier this month. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says it’s notifying the public of potential exposure risks on Nov. 10, after confirming cases of the highly contagious virus. Anyone who attended Krazy Bins and Princess Auto on Idylwyld Drive or Once Upon a Child on 105th Street between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Nov. 10 may have been exposed to measles. “If you were at an identified location during the specified times below, please monitor for measles symptoms for up to 21 days after exposure,” the SHA said in a news release Monday. The SHA says to call HealthLine 811 if you were exposed and you’re unvaccinated or you develop measles symptoms, including fever, runny nose, red eyes, fatigue, small white spots inside the mouth and throat, and red blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads down the body. “Anyone potentially exposed may be eligible for preventative treatment for up to six days after exposure if they are unvaccinated, pregnant, under one year of age or immune suppressed,” the SHA says. The SHA cautions anyone with symptoms not to attend a clinic in person if they are symptomatic and to call the HealthLine for instructions. “Measles is highly contagious. It can spread very easily to others through the air. The virus can live up to two hours in the air or on surfaces in a space where a person coughed or sneezed. It can spread from four days before a rash appears until four days after a rash develops. Through this period, a person needs to stay in strict isolation to avoid spreading the infection to others.”
