Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is alerting residents to several possible measles exposure locations in connection with two confirmed infections in the city. In a news release on Thursday, OPH said the two residents were exposed to measles outside Ontario. Health workers are reaching out directly to people who might have been exposed but are issuing a public notice in order to reach individuals who may have been exposed but could not be contacted directly or whose contact information was incomplete or unavailable. “At this time, the risk to the general population remains low,” OPH says. Ottawa Public Health says individuals who visited the following locations in Ottawa, on the dates and times below, may have been exposed to the measles virus: Tim Hortons at 3224 Hawthorne Rd. Your Independent Grocer at 1910 St. Laurent Blvd. Rexall Drugstore at 1910 St. Laurent Blvd. Metro Supermarket at 2261 Walkley Rd. Subway at 3190 Hawthorne Rd. McDonalds at 1796 St. Laurent Blvd. Ruby’s Restaurant at 10 York St. Tim Hortons at 2800 Lancaster Rd. Individuals who attended the above locations during the specified times may have been exposed to the measles virus and are asked to monitor for symptoms for 21 days from the date of exposure, even if vaccinated, and to check vaccination records to confirm a previous vaccination. “The measles vaccine is typically noted as ‘MMR’, ‘MMRV’ or ‘M’ on records. Most children in Ontario receive two doses of measles vaccine by age seven based on the current routine vaccine schedule: one at 12 months of age and another between four to six years of age,” OPH says. “People born before 1970 likely had measles in the past and are generally considered immune (protected).” If you develop symptoms, call your health care provider and notify them of your recent measles exposure. If you do not have a health care provider, please visit Health811 or call 8-1-1 to connect with a registered nurse for free, secure and confidential health advice. Symptoms of measles Measles is a highly contagious viral respiratory infection caused by the measles virus. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, white spots in the mouth, and red watery eyes that may be sensitive to light and can appear up to 21 days after exposure but usually occur within seven to 12 days. A few days after symptoms begin, a red rash usually develops that starts on the face and spreads down the body to the arms and legs. This rash usually lasts four to seven days. Symptoms generally last from one to two weeks.
