Northern Health is reporting a new case of measles exposure in Smithers, which occurred on July 19.
Northern Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control have listed the following times and locations in the Smithers area as potential exposure sites:
- Smithers ROI Movie Theatre – 3731 Fourth Ave., from 6:30 p.m. until closing
- Aspen Riverhouse Restaurant – 4268 Highway 16, from 5 to 9 p.m.
- McDonald’s – 3720 Highway 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 7-Eleven – 4011 Yellowhead Highway 16, all daytime hours
Anyone who was at these locations during the listed times is advised to monitor for symptoms of measles, which can appear between seven and 21 days after exposure.
Symptoms include fever, runny nose and eyes, cough, inflamed eyes that are sensitive to light, and a rash starting on the face and neck.
If symptoms worsen, health officials recommend calling ahead to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Measles is particularly dangerous for children under the age of five. According to Northern Health, one in 10 cases can lead to ear infections or pneumonia, one in 1,000 can result in inflammation of the brain — potentially causing permanent brain damage — and one in 3,000 is fatal.
Both the BC CDC and Northern Health stress that there is no cure for measles, and the best protection is vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
As of now, there have been 131 confirmed measles cases in BC this year, with 91 of those reported in the Northern Health region.
More information, including immunization clinic locations, is available on the BC CDC website.
