Public health says possible measles case was at Owen Sound Hospital

Grey Bruce Public Health is advising the community of a potential measles exposure location, identified during a contact-tracing investigation into a laboratory-confirmed case of measles in a Grey-Bruce resident.

The case, whose vaccination status is unknown, attended the emergency department at Brightshores Health System’s Owen Sound Hospital, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 2. The case remained at the hospital until about 6:30 a.m., Thursday, April 3.

The measles virus can survive in the air and on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

Public health and the Brightshores Health System collaborated over the weekend to contact all registered patients who were at the emergency department within the exposure window – 9:37 p.m., April 2, to 8:28 a.m., April 3.

However, individuals who were not registered, but were in the emergency department during this exposure window, may not have been identified and contacted.

Anyone who was present in the emergency department within the exposure window is advised to do the following:
 

• Confirm vaccination status. Ensure all individuals in the household are up-to-date on measles vaccination. In general, those born before 1970 are considered immune against measles. Two doses of a measles-containing vaccine are recommended for anyone born after 1970. If unsure of vaccination status, individuals should check with their health-care provider or ICON. 
• If not protected against measles, individuals should contact their health-care provider or public health to receive post-exposure treatment, if it’s been six days or less since exposure, or to receive a measles-containing vaccine for life-long protection. 
• Monitor for measles symptoms, which generally start seven to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms can include high fever, cold-like symptoms (cough/runny nose), sore eyes, and sensitivity to light. About three to seven days after symptoms begin, a rash typically appears. The rash looks like red spots and blotchy patches that start on the face then spread down the body, arms and legs.
• If an individual develops measles symptoms, the individual should immediately isolate at home and call a health-care provider. Household members who are not immune to measles should also stay home during this period and consult with public health. If medical care is required, call ahead to a health-care facility before arriving in-person, so the facility can take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading to others.

Ontario is currently experiencing a multi-jurisdictional measles outbreak. As of April 2, 661 measles cases have been reported in 13 public health unit areas. About 95 per cent of the cases did not have immunity to measles or had unknown vaccination status.

The latest Grey-Bruce case is believed to be linked to travel outside of the area.

Measles can spread easily when an infected person coughs, talks, or sneezes, and another person breathes in virus particles. People with measles can be infectious from four days before to four days after the rash begins.

Vaccination is the best defence against measles. The efficacy of a single dose of a measles-containing vaccine is estimated to be 85-95 per cent. With a second dose, efficacy is almost 100 per cent.

As part of Ontario’s publicly-funded vaccine schedule, babies should receive a measles vaccine at one year of age and children should receive a second dose at ages four and six.

Vaccination is also publicly-funded for adults if they have never had measles or been vaccinated.

Adults born before 1970 are generally presumed to have acquired natural immunity to measles; however, susceptible health-care workers, travellers to places outside Canada, and military personnel should receive a measles vaccine, regardless of birth year.

Infants, aged six months to 11 months, children, aged one to four years, and adults, aged 18 and older, born on or after 1970, may be eligible to receive an additional dose of a measles-containing vaccine if they live or will be travelling to an area experiencing a measles outbreak.

Most people who contract measles recover without treatment, in two to three weeks, but the virus can be more severe for infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Measles may cause complications, such as pneumonia, brain swelling (encephalitis), or seizures, and, in rare cases, death.

More information about measles is available on the following web pages:
 

• Grey Bruce Public Health Measles web page 
• The Ontario Ministry of Health Measles web page or Measles Fact Sheet 
• Health Canada Measles web page