Northern Health has issued a measles alert and is advising the public that a number of people in the province have been diagnosed with the disease.
There have been no cases of measles in northern B.C. during the past several years.
The BC Centre for Disease Control reports that in the past three weeks 26 cases have been confirmed including 22 in the Lower Mainland and one case involving an out-of-province visitor. Several cases were the result of the first cases spreading to others.
During the same time frame three cases of measles were confirmed in the Interior around Vernon, Lillooet and Williams Lake. One case involved a resident returning from India, and an additional case was reported on Vancouver Island.
Health care workers are reminded that measles is a reportable condition which requires immediate notification to public health. Physicians should be alert to measles if they see kids or adults with a rash, fever, cough and sore eyes.
Children and adults who have had two doses of measles vaccine (MMR) are immune, as are those born before 1957 who very likely had childhood measles. Individuals without such protections should contact their doctor or nearest public health unit to arrange to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Measles is very contagious and can be a severe illness in those lacking previous exposure to the disease or without adequate immunizations. Serious complications can include brain inflammation (encephalitis), which occurs in approximately one in 1,000 cases. Other complications like pneumonia are common. Measles can cause brain damage, blindness, deafness and approximately one in 3,000 cases are fatal.
Children and adults with fever, cough and red eyes should stay home to reduce spread to others, whatever virus is causing their illness
Call your physician as soon as you develop a red blotchy rash that starts on head, neck and shoulders and spreads to cover the entire body
Before going to a doctor's office or walk-in clinic, call ahead to identify yourself as possibly having measles, so you may be put in an isolation room right away. This will avoid spreading the virus to others in the waiting room
If you need to go to a hospital or emergency, call ahead and self-identify upon arriving so similar precautions can be taken
All suspect measles cases should be reported to public health immediately, usually by your attending physician
For more information, call your local public health office or doctor, or HealthLink BC at 811. You can also visit www.immunizebc.ca/ImmVacPrevDis/measles.htm, www.bccdc.ca or view the BC HealthFile on Measles at www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile14b.stm.
