Alberta Health recorded 30 new measles cases over the weekend, bringing Alberta’s total to 1,050 since March. Eighteen were confirmed in the South Zone which has had the vast majority of cases provincially. Ten were confirmed in the North Zone which has seen an uptick recently. The Edmonton Zone confirmed two new cases bringing its total to nine since the outbreak started. Another case was confirmed in the Edmonton region on Friday after weeks without any. The latest numbers come after warnings of several exposures in and around the capital city in recent weeks. Earlier this month, an infectious person from Slave Lake travelled to the region, staying at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in St. Albert for several days. They visited a nearby Walmart, the Kaye Clinic in Edmonton and other businesses including a south Edmonton Cabela’s. There were also warnings Saturday about an infectious person who travelled on two ETS buses June 17 and another infectious person who visited the Leduc Community Hospital June 17 into the early morning hours of June 18. Anyone at these locations at the specified times, who were born in or after 1970 and without two doses of measles-containing vaccines is at risk. Alberta Health Services said those people should review their immunization records and self-monitor for symptoms. Measles is extremely contagious and can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person leaves a space. Symptoms include a high fever, cold and flu symptoms and a rash that appears three to seven days after the fever begins. Complications of measles can include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, premature delivery and rarely death. People who are pregnant, under the age of five and those with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk. The majority of measles cases in Alberta have been in unvaccinated children. Two people are currently in hospital in intensive care according to Alberta Health.
