Sask. Health Authority warns of measles exposure in Swift Current

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch says most measles cases are predominantly in under-vaccinated areas.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is warning the public after a case of measles was confirmed in Swift Current.

According to the health authority, anyone who attended the Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current from Friday, March 7 to Monday, March 10 and used the entrance, elevator and fourth floor of the E.I. Wood Building on March 6 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. should monitor themselves for measles symptoms.

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, a runny nose, red eyes, fatigue, irritability, small, white spots (known as Koplit spots) inside the mouth and throat, and a red blotchy rash that develops on the face and spreads down the body about three to seven days after symptoms begin and can last four to seven days.

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Due to measles being highly contagious, the SHA encourages anyone who exhibits the symptoms and were at the affected locations at the described times to immediately call HealthLine811 for assessment and care advice.

Alternatively, those affected are also encouraged to call a physician or nurse practitioner and identify to them that you may have been exposed to measles.

If you were potentially exposed and are in medical distress, the SHA encourages you to visit an emergency room or call 911 and identify that you may have been exposed to the virus.

Measles can be spread very easily by breathing contaminated air after an infected person coughs or sneezes or by touching a contaminated surface such as a doorknob or a shopping cart. If a person breathes in contaminated air or touches a contaminated surface – then touches their nose, eyes, or mouth – they can become infected.

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 to others from four days before a rash appears until four days after a rash develops.

Measles can be prevented by vaccination, which is accessible to everyone in the province for free. With two doses, measles vaccination is almost 100 per cent effective.

The SHA encourages everyone to review their immunizations in their MySaskHealthRecord to ensure they are immunized.