AHS warns of possible measles exposures at Stollery Children’s Hospital, Belle Rive Medicentres Family Health Care Clinic

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a warning to the public regarding a possible exposure to measles in Edmonton.

AHS says they were notified of confirmed cases of measles and confirmed that the individuals were at medical locations.

The first possible exposure location was at the Belle Rive Medicentres Family Health Care Clinic, located at 16703 82 Street #102. AHS believes that anyone who was there between 2:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. may have been exposed.

Additionally, anyone who was at the Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency Department between 10 p.m. on Mar. 14 and 12:30 a.m. on Mar. 15 may have been exposed.

Anyone who was at the locations above during the times listed, is urged to check their immunization records and make sure they are up to date with a measles vaccine — measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) or measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV).

Measles is an airborne disease and extremely contagious.

Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, Director at Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology said, “It has what we call an R value of over 12. It means the average person infected will infect 12 people in a susceptible environment. This is one of the highest r values, which means it’s highly infectious.”

Alberta Health Services say that anyone born in 1970 or later that has less than two doses of a measles vaccine is at risk of catching the virus – which, according to Dr. Tyrrell, has no medicine to make it better. “There’s no anti-viral that works against measles. We don’t have a medicine to treat it once you get it. You’re going to go through the course of the measles,” he added.

AHS adds that in Alberta, a vaccine for measles is offered, free of charge. As per Dr. Tyrrell, vaccine hesitancy has been on the rise since covid, leading to fewer parents vaccinating their children for common preventable diseases like measles. Those children are now susceptible.

Dr. Tyrrell says,  “It’s a severe infection and causes some complications. These complications mean that between one and three people per thousand that are infected with measles will die from the virus.”

Symptoms of measles generally appear seven to 21 days after exposure. Initial symptoms of measles may include fever, runny nose, drowsiness, irritability and red eyes. Small white spots may also develop on the inside of the mouth or throat.

Several days after the initial symptoms, a red blotchy rash appears on the face and progresses down the body. Measles can lead to complications including ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia (lung infection) and encephalitis (brain inflammation).

If you do develop symptoms, it is advised you stay home and call Health Link at 811 before visiting any healthcare facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.

For additional information on measles disease, please visit the AHS website.

——- With files from Bianca Millions